


Supers in Fairytales

by touchfinish



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Endgame Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, F/F, Fluff, Once Upon A Time, Past Emma Swan and Ruby, Past Regina Mills and Ruby, Some CaptainSwan, Some Graphic Language, mentions of past relationships - Freeform, supergirl - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-09-06 23:18:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 45,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8773435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/touchfinish/pseuds/touchfinish
Summary: Story set in Season 6. Jekyll/Hyde has been defeated. Regina never split herself in two. All relationships are as they were at the start of Season 6. Story will be SwanQueen, but starts off with an established CaptainSwan.What happens if a young girl, who is similar to a young Supergirl, accidentally winds up in Storybrooke, Maine? When the characters from the Land of Untold Stories arrive, no one is quite sure who all came with them. When a young girl named Cassi saves Henry's life then disappears, what will the Charming-Mills squad do to track down the mysterious young girl?The rating of this fic has changed due to some sexual references made later on in starting in Chapter 18. I hadn't know this fic would get a little graphic, but things just happen!





	1. A Mysterious Super to Save the Day

“Henry Daniel Mills, why do I have a two-hundred-dollar charge to my credit card bill?” Regina demands of Henry as they walk down Main Street. She’s used to an odd charge here or there for a game, but two hundred dollars is extreme.

“Geez, kid. You go on a shopping spree?” Emma says from Henry’s other side. The Swan-Mills family unit is walking down Main Street together. Regina and Emma have flanked Henry on either side. The weather has just turned cold enough to reach freezing temperatures at night time. It’s too early for winter to fully set in, but it’s well on it’s way. Earlier that day, Regina had received the credit card bill and called Emma asking if she noticed anything new in Henry’s possessions. When that led to a dead end, the two had begun speculating about what Henry could have bought for two hundred dollars.

“I had to buy some stuff at the general store the other day. New clothes for after gym and some shower stuff.” Henry responds trying to shrug it off but not succeeding. Emma shoots him an odd look, and it’s enough for Regina to know he’s not telling the entire truth.

“No new clothes cost _that much _from the Storybrooke general store.” Regina said arching an eyebrow and leveling her gaze with her son’s.__

“I got some other necessities while I was there.” Henry sighed defeated with this conversation.

“Well, you can work off the bill for those necessities by running some errands for me.” Regina says handing Henry a stack of mail. “Deliver this to the Post Office.” 

“Okay.” Henry sighs again as he takes the stack of mail. He turns and heads off to cross the street towards the post office. The town is lively with all the new inhabitants from the Land of Untold Stories. The newcomers are a mix of people wanting to adapt to this new land, and newcomers who stick to their roots and are wary of their strange new realm. Either way, it’s been keeping the heroes on their toes.

“So, he wasn’t lying but…” Regina says leaving the statement open ended as she stops walking to look directly at Emma. Emma glances at Henry one more time and sighs shaking her head. Hook has stepped up beside her.

“He’s not exactly telling the truth either. It’s like a half truth?” Emma says questioningly. 

“Perhaps the lad has need for some manly items from the store.” Hook inputs to to the conversation. 

_“WHAT?!” _Regina snaps at Hook the same time Emma says it in shock. Hook takes a step back from the women and holds his arms up in surrender.__

“Ladies,” he says chuckling, “Henry’s a teenage boy. He has a girl friend. It’s not hard to believe.” 

“I have already bought Henry condoms; those do not cost two hundred dollars.” Regina retorts back dismissing the pirate’s input. 

“You what??” Emma gasps out in shock again.

“I bought him condoms.” Regina repeats eyeing Emma. “I trust you’ve learned what a condom is over the years?” Emma narrows her eyes at the remark.

“Yes,” she said still trying to process the fact that Regina bought their son condoms, “I just can’t believe you bought them for him…” she continues trailing off at the end.

“Why not?” Regina responds. “It’s not wise to leave teenagers unprepared, and it’s an important portion of the sexual education talk to have with teenagers. Male or female.” Regina responds crossing her arms like she’s prepared for a fight. Emma’s still trying to wrap her head around the idea of Regina giving their sweet Henry ‘the talk’.

“Here I thought I’d be the one to give the boy the talk.” Hook jumps into the conversation again.

“And just why would you be the one giving Henry ‘the talk’?” Regina says turning her confrontational body language and arched eyebrow in his direction. Hooks response is cut short by tires screeching and a horn honking. 

SCCCCRRRREEEEEECCCCHHHHHHHHH

BEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPP BBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPP

The trio turns to stare in horror as a car swerves down Main Street out of control. Henry, who was crossing the street to the post office, is right in line of the cars swerving path. As it makes a final weave in Henry’s direction, his family looks on in horror as it heads right towards him. In a blur of activity, the car comes to a crashing stop three feet in front of Henry. Main Street is a blur of activity as people rush towards the scene. Smoke is spilling out of the car making it hard to get a clear view of the area. As Regina, Emma, and Hook rush forward, they elbow their way through the crowd already gathering around the crash.

“Out of my way, _NOW _.” Regina says finally getting to the front of the crowd standing in shock just feet from the wrecked car.__

The smoke is clearing, and everyone is staring in shock at the sight before their eyes. The car is a wrangled mess, and it’s completely caved around the small form that the car’s front bumper is wrapped around. Henry is standing three feet behind the mangled car, staring with doe-eyed shock that he’d almost been hit by a car. Instead, a tiny blonde body had taken the hit for him.  
As the crowd of on lookers kept their distance, the small blonde girl steps back from the car. She is completely unharmed, and she turns to look at the gathering crowd. When she finally locked eyes with Henry, she steps closer to him and appears to be saying something. The young girls long blonde hair fell down her back in loose messy curls, and she was skinny enough to look like a breeze of wind might blow her over. When Henry nods at her she smiles a self-conscious smirk and shrugs her shoulders. With one last glance to the crowd, she nods at Henry then jumps up and flies into the air. She floats above the crowd for a moment before taking off in the blink of an eye. 

“Oh my god, Henry!” Emma yells rushing forward. She is the first to come to her senses. Everyone begins moving about now. Citizens go to check on the occupants of the vehicle, and Regina finally makes it over to Henry.

“Who was that? How did she do that? Was she okay?” Emma asks patting him down and running all the questions together. Regina steps in and pulls Henry into a tight hug. Henry just hugs them both, still in shock from nearly being ran over.

“Answer your mother, I want to know the answers as well.” Regina demands harshly. Everyone’s still trying to recover from the shock of the near collision. 

“She- She’s just a girl from my school.” Henry stammers still shaken himself. “I’ve seen her when school let’s out, but I really don’t know her that well.”

“Well, she saved your life. You’re really lucky, kid.” Emma says still visibly shaken from the ordeal. 

“We need to thank her.” Regina says looking to the sky. “Did she really just fly out of here?” 

“More importantly, did she really just get hit by a car and walk away perfectly fine?” Emma says glancing over to the car. Finally, she snaps back into sheriff mode. 

“Stay here. I’m going to have to get reports from everyone.” Emma says moving over to assist the citizens with helping the occupants get out of the car. Hook had remained over beside the wreckage of the car when Regina and Emma had rushed to Henry. He was currently assisting one of the citizen from the car.

“Do you know the girl’s name?” Regina questions Henry as Emma helps the others. 

“I think her name is Cassi?” Henry said shrugging. 

“We’ll look into finding her later. Let’s help Emma clean this mess up.” Regina said touching Henry on the shoulder. It was just another normal day Storybrooke.


	2. Trying to find Mini Supergirl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Cassi takes off, everyone tries to clear up the mystery behind who she is. Turns out, one person in the Charming-Mills squad already knows who she is...

Cleaning up the accident took longer than expected. Everyone in town had gathered to find out what had happened. The drivers of the car had turned out to be residents from the Land of Untold Stories. They’d had cars in their old land, and they thought they’d be able to handle the cars in Storybrooke no problem. Turns out, the cars in Storybrooke were a little more high-tech than they had anticipated. They’d lost control of the car while fiddling with the controls. Both residents had been remorseful and promised not to get behind the wheel of a car again until they got their license. The drivers of the car also recognized the young girl.

“So, the girl’s first name is Cassi?” David questions the drivers of the vehicle in the station. 

“Definitely,” responds the young man, Michael, nodding his head eagerly. He had been driving the car and felt horrible about nearly hitting someone. The young man was part of the nomadic group that came from the Land of Untold Stories. There were about thirty residents still residing on the outskirts of town near where the ship crashed. They had all chosen to remain there together. Most of them were still scared of some of the technology they encountered, others just weren’t interested in interacting with people outside of their group. 

This young man had come from a more modern land, and he often acted as the groups spokesperson in the town. He had sandy hair, and kind blue eyes. He was tall and skinny, and advocated for their group like a true diplomat. He had chosen not to share his story, and that’s what kept him included in the group of nomads. His companion in the car was a woman named Hattie that had children in the school. She had dark curly hair and rarely smiled. 

“But neither of you know her last name?” David questioned again. 

“It’s Va-El.” said Michael the same time the Hattie responded, “Wenburg.”

“The girl lived with Wenburg, that’s her name in our community.” Hattie insisted again.

“But when she showed up, I distinctly remember her saying her name was Va-El.” Michael insists as well.

“She ran away from that name. That’s why she was in the Land of Untold Stories. Her last name Wenburg.” Hattie’s heated reply suggests their argument building up again. 

“It’s fine.” David cut in with a swift motion of his hand. The two had bickered about the rights of using last name someone had run away from for twenty minutes already. It had thrown David in circles simply trying to get the girl’s last name. 

“She lives in your community though, right?” He states again wearily. 

“She lives with the community, but she is not in the community.” Hattie jumps in first.

“Close enough.” Michael sighs wearily choosing not to fight this issue again either. 

This time, the two had argued over the legitimacy of the girl living in the community. Apparently before they all came with Hyde on the airship, the girl had lived with and helped an older man named Wallace Wenberg. When he died about a month before their move, the girl had floundered on deciding whether to stay with the community or not. It had created more tensions than they’d already had with the girl, and now a good deal of the community fought against accepting the girl. They only let her continue staying with them out of the kindness she had shown the Wenberg man.

“You also both are completely positive she’s fine after stopping a car crash with her body?” David says still a little shocked. 

“Yes.” They both respond in unison. It had been the only thing the two had agreed on about the the girl. 

“She’s indestructible. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Michael insists. He’s clearly curious about the young girl as well.

“Wenburg was a weapons man. He used to test his products on her. Not even his biggest guns could bruise her skin.” Hattie had been repeating this same statement trying to convince David of her invincibility. She’d even listed a variety of weapons she new Mr. Wenburg had tested on her. 

“Okay, well if either of you see her, let her know we have some questions for her. You’re free to go.” David said moving to open the door to the interrogation room. The two quickly filed out while David turns to talk to Emma, Regina, and Snow. 

“What do you guys think?” David inquires. 

“They’re telling the truth, on all of it.” Emma said. Her lie detector skills had given no indications that they were lying.

“What about the last name?” Snow asks. “Were either of them lying?”

“No,” Emma responded shaking her head, “They both believe they’re telling the truth. I’d probably go with Va-El though.” 

“You think the group is just forcing Wenberg on her because of their rules?” Snow asks thinking along the same lines of her daughter. 

Emma nods in confirmation, “Sounds like it to me. It’s the same thing if you get adopted. Your family might want you to change your name to fit into the family better.” 

“They’re telling the truth about the weapons too? She’s ‘indestructible’?” Regina questions putting air quotes around the word ‘indestructible’.

“They aren’t lying about it at least. If those stories are true, it makes sense why she could get hit by a car and leave as if nothing happened.” Emma responds.

“She sounds indestructible to me.” David says. Snow nods as well.

“Well, I still want to thank this indestructible girl for saving Henry’s life.” Regina says firmly.

“I want to question her still too.” David says.

“What? Why?” Emma asks in confusion. “She goes around saving and helping people. I don’t think she needs interrogated.” 

“It might be wise, Emma.” Snow begins, “She’s helpful now, but what if she snaps? Do we really want to know nothing about her?” 

“Plus if a group of people fear her, we might want to find out why.” David adds in.

“She hasn’t done anything wrong yet. Let’s not make her think the town is ganging up on her.” Regina jumps in to defend the girl.

“I agree, if she thinks we’re ganging up on her it might drive her to turn on us. Let’s just go out to the nomads housing site and see if we can find her. Spread it around we just want to thank her.” Emma says firmly. 

“I’m fine with that,” says Snow, “I do want to thank her for saving Henry’s life.” 

“I agree,” confirms David that it’s a unanimous decision, “But at some point she’s going to have to answer some questions.”  
___________________________________________________________________________ 

Across town at the big white house on Mifflin Street, Henry waits outside near his backdoor. He’d texted Cassi twenty minutes ago on her stolen phone to meet him. For someone who was faster than the speed of light, she sure was taking forever to get there. Finally, Henry hears the soft THUD from Cassi’s landing. 

“What took so long?” Henry asks smiling at the young girl. 

She’s really the tiniest ten-year-old Henry had ever seen. He couldn’t remember being that small now that he’d hit his growth spurt. It felt like it had been ages since he hadn’t had to cope with his gangly limbs and cracking voice. She was just over four feet tall, all skin and bones, with big curly, ash blonde hair that made her look even tinier than she was. She had bright green smiling eyes that reminded him of his birth mothers, but she tanned a lot better than Emma did. Even with winter around the corner, Cassi had a healthy glow about her skin. Even though he knew she didn’t get to eat enough anymore. 

“Is that how you thank someone for saving your life?” Cassi responded cheekily with a grin.

“Thanks, Cass.” Henry said opening his arms up for a hug. He knew Cassi loved hugs and was severely lacking on them within the community she lived with. She came over and wrapped her arms around him. Her hugs were always warm, near crushing, and lifted him off his feet with her enthusiasm. Once she set him back down, she got to the heart of the matter.

“What did you tell your family about me?” the young girl inquired seriously.

“Nothing,” Henry reassured immediately, “just that your name was Cassi, and I’d seen you at school before.” 

“You didn’t mention why your mom’s credit card bill was so high?” Cassi continued.

About a month ago, Henry had caught some kids stealing from Cassi’s backpack after school. She’d finally made a friend at her school and was off playing with her on the playground when Henry caught the nomad kids going through her bag. He’d chased them off, but they’d still stolen a bunch of her stuff. When Cassi heard Henry yelling at them, she’d ran over to them at inhuman speed and snatched some of it back. When they took off with the rest she just let them go.  
When Henry questioned her why, she’d responded it’d do no good to scare them with her powers to get it back. Her fear was they might tell their parents she attacked them and get her kicked out of the community. They had lied before, and she was skating on thin ice now. It was the only place she felt semi-comfortable, and she’d rather let them steal her stuff then leave it. 

That was when Henry had started swiping his mom’s credit card for her. The more he found out Cassi needed, the more stuff he bought her. She was worried the others would try to take advantage of the situation if they found out Henry was buying her things, so she’d sworn him to secrecy. She was funny about having him help her anyways. She had insisted on helping him with chores in exchange for him buying her things. His chores were getting done faster and better than ever, but it wasn’t enough to appease his mom. He couldn’t bring himself to stop their arrangement either. The more she helped, the more Henry learned about her powers. He had dubbed her “Mini Supergirl”. True to her nickname, she insisted he keep his knowledge about her powers a secret. Her powers made people wary, and she didn’t need more people afraid of her. Henry had agreed and kept his mouth shut for a month. It had all been working out nicely until she overheard his mom yelling at him. She had immediately texted him to stop. He had just texted her back that his mom had more than enough when the near crash happened.

“Don’t worry, I’ve gone a little too crazy with it before. I just have to do some extra chores. It’s not like we can’t afford it.” he reassured her. Henry was really concerned about her getting enough food. She already ate more than the average adult and was stick thin. She couldn’t afford to cut back more.

“Fine, but let me do more of the chores. I can do them easier than you anyways.” Cassi sassed at him, but said it still firmly enough that he knew it wasn’t up for debate. 

“Deal!” Henry said sticking his hand out to shake on it. She really was better at them. Cassi shook his hand and smiled again.

“I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you later, okay?” she said stepping back to take off again.

“Okay. Just keep in touch!” Henry called waving his hand as she floating upwards. He watched her pluck a few apples from the top of his mom’s tree before she took off. He knew she’d never notice the apples missing from the top of her tree. Who else could steal from the very top of a tree?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, Cassi is going to have another run in with the Charming-Mills family. Wonder who it's gonna be.... Please leave feedback if there's a typo in the story! I know how aggravating it is to read with a bunch of errors, and I don't have anyone checking them over for me.


	3. Apple Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina realizes the missing girl may be stealing apples from her tree. When she confronts the young girl, Regina learns a a lot about the young Mini Supergirl. 
> 
> Zelena still lives Regina part time. Since Regina never split herself in my story, I don't see them having the same problems that causes the rift in their relationship. Since she's still partially the Evil Queen, I imagine this Regina to be more sympathetic about her sister's bad decisions. Plus, I can't miss out on an opportunity to write some Mills sisters sassy shenanigans later on.

Regina is home in the evening alone about a week after Henry’s near accident. Both Henry and Zelena were gone for the evening. Zelena split her time between the mansion and her old residence. It seemed to depend on how fussy baby Robin was. On the fussy nights, she enlisted Regina’s help. Henry was staying at Emma’s for the night, and the house was eerily quiet again. It left Regina with too much time to think. So far, she’s heard nothing about the young missing girl who had saved Henry’s life. When Emma and Charming had gone to investigate the nomad camp a week ago, they’d left empty handed. The girl’s things were there, but she was no where to be seen. She was gone every time they went back. Emma had gone to check the school the next day, and the girl had not shown up. Everywhere they checked the girl had been missing. Emma and Charming had continued to search the town for her, but no one had seen the girl in one place for more than five minutes. 

Today, Regina had finally accompanied Emma out to the nomad’s camp site in search of the girl. It had been a long time since she had been out there, and she was impressed with how well the group had established housing. The entire camp had spanned for about half a mile throughout the woods. The girl’s housing was at the far end of the community high up in a tree. While Emma had climbed the tree to search her things for clues, Regina had walked the base of the tree. She stopped cold in her tracks when she noticed an apple core laying on the ground. More specifically, the core of one of her apples laying on the group. She had just bent down to investigate the core more thoroughly when a young voice had surprised her.

“What ya doin’?” said the young boy behind her. When she heard a hearty CRUNCH and a noisy slurp, she turned around to face a small boy crunching away on an apple. He appeared to be about four with adorable strawberry curls. The apple he was munching away on also happened to be another one of her apples.

“Where did you get that apple?” she asked the boy ignoring his question.

“My brother.” he responded taking another bite of the apple. 

“Your brother?” she parroted back to the boy.

“Weeeelllllllllllll,” drawled the boy, “I think he got it from Cassi.”

“Cassi?” Regina questioned stunned at her own luck, “Your brother got the apple from Cassi?”

“Yeah,” he said again chewing and swallowing his latest bite. “Climbed up and took it last night.”

“He took the apple?” Regina parroted yet again. She shook her head to clear it. “Was Cassi there when he took it?”

“No.” he said shaking his head. 

“She lets you share her food though?” Regina asked finally getting a sense of where this was going.

“She shares with me!” he said proudly pointing to his chest. Regina had to chuckle at that, “Not your brother though?” 

“No,” he said knotting his little eyebrows together, “they don’t get along.” Emma finally dropped down to the ground beside her again after that. 

“Find anything?” Regina inquired to Emma. The blonde shook her head no. 

“Just about the same stuff as last time. Maybe a little less.” she said shrugging, “What about you?” 

“Maybe,” Regina said pausing to gather her thoughts on everything she’d learned. 

“Maybe…?” Emma said trying to goad Regina.

“I’ll let you know.” Regina said before waving her arms and disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke. 

Regina had reappeared at her house, and instantly went about preparing a detection spell to put on her tree. She had baked one of her famous lasagnas to kill some time while she waited to be alerted of an apple thief in her tree. It was just nearing six o’clock at night when she felt the signs of a disturbance in her protection spell. Someone had decided to go apple picking.

When Regina stepped outside, she noticed a slight rustle in her tree that almost could have been the wind. Except, Regina knew someone was in her tree. She was assuming the young girl would be snatching apples off of the far side of her tree, where the branches were lower. Instead, it appeared the girl had climbed the tree. When she walked to the base of the tree, she looked up into the lower limbs of the tree. They were all completely bare. She began to walk in a slow circle around the tree. The day’s light was fading, but she knew someone was in her tree. She could feel it. She’d just about given up hope when an apple began hitting branches from high up into the tree as it fell. It finally hit the ground about a foot to her left. When she walked over to it. She bent to pick it up, then looked into the trees.

“I know you’re up there.” she called trying to squint into the highest shadows of her tree. If the apple had fallen as far as she thought, she was betting the girl had been flying around her tree to steal apples before this. When she received no answer, she decided to try again.

“I’m Henry’s adoptive mother, Regina.” she calls into the tree and waits. 

“I’m not mad at you for taking them,” Regina said then paused again. She waited for a sign from the girl but received none. 

“I just wanted to thank you for saving Henry. He means the world to me.” she crooned at the end, making sure to soften to tone. If the girl was stealing apples, and then having them stolen again, she bet the young girl was quite hungry.

“I wanted to thank you with dinner. It’s my specialty.” she called up encouragingly. This time, she just waited for a response. Finally, the highest branches of the tree began to shake. She stepped back to see the top of the tree, and she finally saw the young girl floating above her.

“Cassi.” she calls back down to her. 

“Are you hungry, Cassi?” Regina askes with a smile. Even from here, she could see the young girl was all skin and bones. If she was stealing food to feed herself, she wondered how much she actually got to eat. When the girl finally started to float down, Regina had to contain her excitement.

“Henry’s nice. I’d do it again.” the young girl responded once her feet were finally touching the ground. She was even smaller up close. Snow had said the girl was in fifth grade, but was academically years beyond her peers. She could probably test out of the school system all together. Right now, she just looked young. Her ashy blonde curls were fixed into two long braids down her back. There was a smudge of dirt on her nose, and her clothes were an odd mixture of Storybrooke and things from the Land of Untold Stories. Regina briefly pondered if she had stolen the shirt as well.

“I’m glad to hear that.” She responded warmly. “I made lasagna, do you know what that is?” The young girl shook her head no. 

“Why don’t you come with me and try some?” Regina offered holding out her hand to the young girl. Her green eyes surveyed her warily for a moment. Finally, she nodded and reached out to clasp Regina’s hand. Despite it being chilly and only having a thin jacked, the girl’s hands were perfectly warm. Regina led her into the house and directed her to a seat at the table.

“I can’t imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.” She said moving to cut the girl a piece of lasagna. When she glanced up at the girl, she caught her watching her. She shrugged her shoulders innocently.

“Are you okay? I can’t imagine it feels good to stop a car with your body.” When she received the answer she expected, she knew it was going to be a struggle to get the girl talking. “I’m fine.” she responds softly. Regina stays silent as she dishes out the piece. She walks over with the place the piece in front of her but waits to set it down. She arches an eyebrow and just waits.

“It doesn’t hurt.” the girl responds eyeing the lasagna hungrily. Regina relents and sets the piece down. She cuts herself one and joins the girl the table. Before she can even sit down, she looks up to see Cassi’s plate completely empty. 

“Someone’s hungry.” She chuckles and slides her own plate over before rising to get another piece. When she glances up to see Cassi inhaling that piece as well, she decides to bring the pan over to the table. She also gets two bowls of salad out of the refrigerator and adds them to the table as well. 

“This is delicious, thank you.” Cassi says using the napkin to wipe her mouth. Regina finally takes her seat again and gestures to the food.

“Take as much as you like, I could never eat it all.” When Cassi moves to eat the salad, Regina is happy to see more vitamins going into the small girl.

“Are you going to make me answer a bunch of questions now?” Cassi asks bluntly after she swallows a fork full of salad. Regina is a bit taken back by the question, but decides to follow the young girl’s lead.

“Not if you don’t want to tell me anything. I’m sure you know everyone has questions for the hero that saves Henry’s life and then flew away.” Regina forks a bite of lasagna into her mouth. Then another. 

“I don’t want to talk about my powers.” she responds quietly. Now starring into her empty salad bowl.

“I can understand that. Not everyone is a fan of power. It’s intimidating.” Regina moves to cut a larger piece of lasagna, then leaves the serving spatula in the pan facing Cassi. She doesn’t want to force the girl to continue eating if it’s too much. Cassi immediately goes for the spatula and slides the large slice onto her plate. 

“More like it inspires fear.” she mumbles down at her food slouching in her chair. Regina wants to correct her manners but restrains herself.

“It certainly can. For a long time, I used my powers for evil. People feared me, and they had a right to.” Regina prayed she didn’t intimidate the girl out of talking.  
“You used your powers for evil?” the girl asked in shock. She’d even paused in eating to stare at Regina. 

“Yes,” Regina chuckled, “I know now I work with the heroes, but for years I was trying to kill them. I actually created Storybrooke and cursed all of us here to get back at the very people I now call family.” Regina said somberly.

“I haven’t done anything evil,” Cassi said stabbing a bite of lagana, “I could.” 

“Why haven’t you?” Regina asks glad to see her talking about the topic she had wanted to avoid.

“Why haven’t you?" the young girl threw back. It made Regina chuckle. Cassi reminded her of what she pictured Emma like at that age. No real home or family, blonde hair and green eyes, all spunk and appetite. 

“I found someone I cared about. He helped me see the error in my ways.” Regina said thinking back to a few years ago. Henry shunning her once he learned she was the Evil Queen had been some of her darkest days. 

“That’s what happened to me too.” Cassi said starring sadly down at her last few bites of lasagna. She raked her fork over the top.

“What happened to him?” Regina questioned softly it took a moment, but Cassi finally answered. 

“He died in his sleep before we moved here. He was old. He took me in when I arrived. I did all of his chores, both in the house and for the community. He was so…. kind... too kind to just wither away without help.” her softly spoken response broke Regina’s heart. She could hear how much Cassi missed the older man.

“It’s hard to loose someone we love.” Regina agreed sympathetically. When Cassi didn’t offer anything else, Regina decided to try to push her a bit.

“Why did you stay with the community after he died?” it was a loaded question to ask. She heard the way the woman from the car had talked about Cassi. She knew it couldn’t be a pleasant experience.

“I don’t really have anywhere else to go.” Cassi responded finally just shoving her last bite of lasagna in her mouth.

“Henry’s birth mother, Emma, is good at finding people families to live with. She could help you.” Regina offered. She knew that was Emma’s plan. She’d seen her face when she talked about what little she was learning about Cassi. She wanted to save Cassi, save Cassi like no one had saved Emma. 

Cassi just shook her head. “I don’t want another family that’s afraid of me. If they don’t have powers too, I’ll always be alone anyways.”  
Regina’s heart broke. She knew what it felt like to be isolated inside your home. Her early day’s with Leopold had been lonely and devastating. No matter how hard she tried, she never seemed to fit in there either.

“What if you could live with someone who had powers?” Regina asks as she cleared her throat.

“You know a family that can fly and stop cars with their bodies?” Cassi sasses with an arch of her eyebrow. Regina supposes she had walked into that one.

“No,” she chuckles, “But I know someone who throws fireballs and enchants apple tree to alert them of apple thieves.” She crinkles her nose a bit at the young girl to let her know she is kidding. The responding giggle is worth the ridiculous expression she usually reserved for Henry.

“You throw fireballs?” Cassi askes staring at her disbelievingly. When Regina conjured one in her hand, the girl’s eyes grow wide as saucers. Before she knows it, the girl is reaching across the table and sticks her hand directly into the fireball. 

“Careful!” Regina pulls her hand back quickly extinguishing the fireball. Again, the girl giggles at her.

“I stop a speeding car and you really think a little fire will hurt me?” she asks eyeing Regina’s hand. When she makes eye contact with her, Regina can see the challenge brewing in Cassi’s mischievous green eyes. 

“What else can you do?” she asks wiggling her brows.

“Nah, uh, uh.” Regina say shaking her finger, “If I do one, you do one.” She enunciates her seriousness by pointing to Cassi at the end.

“Fine,” she responds. Cassi pauses for a moment then stares at the pan of lasagna on the table.

“Dinner might be getting cold,” Cassi says coyly, “I’ll help you heat it up.” With that, the young girl’s eyes turn a fiery red and shoot beams of heat at the pan of lasagna. When she stopps, the pan was steaming and radiating heat as if Regina had just removed it from the over.

“Well….” Regina starts, unsure of how to respond to a ten-year-old with heat vision.

“Your turn!” Cassi pipes up excitedly bouncing in her seat. 

“Okay,” Regina relents glancing at the table. When she spies the partially wilting flowers in a vase, she waves her hand over them. The flowers spring back to life in full, vibrant bloom. 

“Whoa!” Cassie gaps with wide eyes reaching out to touch a flower, “How’d you do that?” 

“Magic.” Regina responds simply. She has to smile at Cassi’s fascination with her skills. It is nice to show off sometimes.

“Okay, I have one.” Cassi puffs up her cheeks, starring at the flowers still. She let out a huge gust of breath that has an icy cold feel from across the table. The flowers become crystalized sparkling, frozen versions of their previous selves.

“And is that your magic?” Regina asks reaching out to touch a flower. It is completely frozen and hard to the touch.

_“Nope,” _Cassi replies popping her ‘p’, “it’s normal where I’m from.”__

“Normal?” Regina askes trying to fathom a world full of people flying around shooting lazers out of their eyes.

“Yeah,” Cassie’s sigh clues Regina in that is was another sensitive topic, “it’s gone now though.”

“Gone?” Regina questiones not understanding.

She ducks her head as she nodded this time. “It was destroyed. My home exploded, but they tried to save some of us. They shot a group of children off of the planet in hopes of preserving my kind. I saw it explode as I drifted away. It knocked me into the darkest realms of space. I passed through a black whole and crash landed in the Land of Untold Stories. Everyone there was without a home like I was, so I stayed.” It was the most Regina had heard Cassi say, and it was a devastating tale to tell.

“I’m sorry about your home.” Regina clears her throat once more. What did one say when one’s home exploded? 

“I am thankful to be alive. I must carry on my race for the sake of my people.” Cassi states with the literal weight of her world on her shoulders.

“That’s quite the responsibility.” Regina saya. Cassi just shrugs. 

“Are you determined to stay with the nomads then?” Regina questions understanding their appeal. Again, Cassi just shrugs.

“How would you feel about staying here?” Regina tosses the question out casually, trying to allow the girl some more variety in her future.

“Seriously?” she askes breaking her chain of shrugging responses.

“Of course,” Regina responds with a nod, “I have more than enough room and would love the company.” Once again, Cassi just starres. 

“You can say no, but it is an actual house.” Regina continues thinking back to the tree house Cassi currently living in. “You’d have your own room, and we could work out a few chores for you to do, or some volunteer work, if it makes you more comfortable.” She could tell that helping the Wenberg man had been important to her. When she began nodding her head in contemplation, Regina continued on. “If it doesn’t work out, you can tell me. No hard feelings.” 

Cassie pauses for a moment then nods excitedly, “Okay, deal!” She hops out of her chair and rushes her dishes to the sink. A loud crack of thunder sounds outside on her way back to the table, and she freezes. 

“Would you like to start staying tonight?” Regina asks with a soft smile again. The indestructible girl with heat vision is clearly afraid of storms. Her head bobs like a little bobble doll. 

“Do you need help getting your things?” Regina asks.

“No, I’ll be fast! Don’t worry!” the girl springs to life again. She finishes clearing the table almost faster than Regina could blink. 

“I’ll be back in a minute!” calls Cassi over her shoulder as she rushes out the backdoors. 

“Be safe!” Regina calls as she watched the girl take off into the sky. It is going to be an interesting living situation with her new house mate.


	4. House Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassi moves into Regina's house. They learn more about each other. It's just kind of a fluffy chapter learning about each other. The next one gets more exciting, promise!

The rain starts falling about thirty minutes after Cassi leaves. Regina isn’t sure how long it will take her to pack her belongings, but she starts to worry after an hour has passed and she hasn’t returned. Regina had cleaned up dinner, laid out towels in case Cassi got rained on, and aired out one of the other unused guest rooms that are upstairs. Even with Zelena and the baby staying part time, and Cassi now moving in, there’s an extra room available still. 

When she woke up after the curse, she loved the huge house she had all to herself. There was no one to control her, and she didn’t have to worry about being guarded all the time. Over time, the house just became eerily quiet. It had been hollow and her footsteps echoed off the walls enunciating her loneliness. When she had adopted Henry, he brought the house back to life. Her house seemed to constantly be cycling between being her favorite place to be, and her loneliest place to be. 

As Regina walks back into the kitchen to, she hears a solid thud outside of her back door. She waves her hand to open the door, and the young girl jumps in surprise when the door opens by itself. Regina can hear her chuckle as she hauls a large pack into the room with her. 

“Okay, now I see why people might get startled by me sometimes.” Cassi says still chuckling as she drops her bag on the floor mat just inside the door. She’s dripping wet and shakes her head a little to get the water off of her. 

“Sorry,” Regina says chuckling as she wraps a towel around Cassi’s shoulders. She jumps, startled to have someone taking care of her again. 

“It’s okay. Once it’s dry I’ll move my bag upstairs.” Cassi says half apologetically. They’re both soaking the rug by the door.

“It’s okay,” Regina smiles kindly at the young girl. “It’s an easy fix.” With a wave of her hand, both the bag disappears. 

“Whoa!” exclaims Cassi with wide eyes, “What’d you do with my bag?” 

“I just moved it upstairs,” reassured Regina. “When it started raining before you got back, I laid some towels upstairs so you could still have your things with you.” 

“Thanks!” starts Cassi excitedly then her face falls a bit, “I didn’t think it’d take that long.”

“Did something happen?” questions Regina.

“Oh you know,” Cassi starts trying to wave the matter off topic, “just the other kids playing jokes on me. Took some of my things, again.” From what Regina has heard from Emma, it’s common for children to steal from each other in the foster system because no one was really protecting them. She bet Cassi was experiencing the same thing. 

“Did you get it all back?” Regina asked kindly.

“All but the food, but they need that more than me anyways.” Cassi said shrugging. Regina had wondered if Cassi was really sharing with the young boy she’d seen earlier or not.

“Well, let’s go upstairs! See your room.” Regina said trying to be more cheerful for the young girl. They walked upstairs together. The girl questioning about the security of the home. Regina reassured her that while her bedroom didn’t have a lock, no one would be stealing her things. When she questioned whether someone would break into the home, she reassured her that no one broke into the house of the magical Evil Queen. The girl had thought that hilarious. She teased her about what she thought protection spells were that must have been related to her knowledge of defenses from her home. She teased about doors that closed and sealed people in, with green lighted rooms that made people take naps. The size of Regina’s home didn’t seem to surprise her, and Regina privately wondered if she’d been royalty or wealthy in another life. The girl was still delighted by her room though.

“Oh!” Cassi exclaimed in excitement. Her mouth formed an adorable little ‘o’ and her eyes grew wide. “I love it! It’s so pretty!” Regina blinked while looking down at the girl, and suddenly the girl was squealing in excitement on the other side of the room. Regina quickly turned her head and saw the girl jumping happily on the queen sized bed. She was worried the girl would be off put by the dramatic black and white décor she used throughout her home. It was a beautiful but intimidating color scheme. 

“We can make some changes if you like.” Regina said smiling at the girl. Usually she would someone for jumping on a bed, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it this time. 

“No! It’s lovely!” Cassi said plopping down onto the bed and bouncing off. She began flitting about the room investigating everything. Regina walked over to the far side of the room with the private bath. 

“The bathroom is in here. There’s a private one off of each bedroom. This one is yours alone.” Regina said opening the door and flicking on the light. Cassi rushed in again and hopped into the shower. 

“It’s so big! It’s like my ones at home.” the look on Cassi’s face made Regina pause. When time started moving again after the curse, she had begun upgrading different parts of her house regularly. The new showers were her favorite. They were marble and glass with a pressurized water system that had required her to upgrade the plumbing and water tank as well. She suspected her showers were part of the reason Henry and Zelena visited so frequently as well. Some days, she swore they were even sneaking in while she wasn’t home to shower.

“Water on.” Cassi said from the ledge of the shower now. She stared at the shower patiently. It appears the showers from Cassi’s home were voice activated. She repeats the phrase again, then turns to Regina.

“Does it have a different name?” Cassi asked Regina.

“No,” Regina chuckled, “it’s not voice activated. You turn this knob, to the left is the warm water.” Regina demonstrates the shower then steps back. “I’ll leave you to it. My room’s just down the hall. Come down if you need anything.” Cassi smiles and thanks her as she leaves. She’s still fiddling with different things in the bathroom. She wonders if Cassi has struggled as hard as Regina to adapt to her new land. 

Regina’s laying in bed about an hour later reading a book and listening to the storm outside. She’d taken her shower, and heard Cassi take one as well down the hall. The girl was quieter than Henry when he was in the house, but Cassi was still adjusting. Henry had actively been looking for the girl, and she knew he wouldn’t mind that Regina helped his rescuer. Henry hadn’t loved when Zelena moved in, but he understood Regina wanting to help her sister try to turn over a new leaf.   
The two had eventually bonded over Zelena discovering Henry’s game system one day. Regina had walked in one day to Henry and Zelena yelling. She’d rushed into the living room to discover the heatedly playing one of Henry’s videogames. Zelena had been playing it when Henry got home, and had taunted that she could beat him. Turns out, Zelena wasn’t lying. It had turned into a real competition between the now. They had spent so many hours ‘training’ on the device, Regina had to restrict both of their time on the game system. A gentle knock at the door pulled Regina out of her musings. 

“Hey, ummm… I just wanted to say good night... and thanks.” Cassi said shyly standing in the doorway. Her hair was curlier when fresh out of the shower. She was dressed in a pair of flannel pajamas that were similar to the kind she used to buy for Henry. 

“Of course. You’re a regular little Supergirl. It’s the least I could do.” Regina smiled kindly at the door who blushed under the praise. When thunder cracked loudly through the sky again, she saw Cassi jump in her skin and took an incidental step into the room. Regina realized Cassi might have had other alternatives for coming into her room. 

“Would you like to sit and read a while with me? I think I have one of Henry’s old books on my stand. I was going to read it next.” Regina offered tapping her bed. Cassi immediately ran over and dove under the covers. Regina handed the book to the wriggling little girl.

“What’s it about?” She asked flipping over the book to examine the cover.

“A boy with magic I believe. Henry was obsessed with the story, but I never got around to reading it myself.” Regina said shrugging.

“And you weren’t interested in it? At all?” Cassi asked shocked. 

“Not at the time. Henry became interested in the stories a year before magic came back to the town. It wasn’t really something I wanted to think about at the time.” Regina said ready to shrug off the topic. 

“How could you not be interested in any magical story when you live in a realm with detailed stories about all of you lives though?” Cassi asked Regina like she was crazy.

“I don’t know,” Regina said smiling never thinking about this realms abilities to steal everyone’s magical stories.

“There’s even some about my people.” Cassi said to her like it was a huge secret. 

“Really?” Regina questioned thoroughly shocked by this knowledge.

“Of course!” Cassi said giggling. “They’re more comics than stories though, and I don’t want word of how accurate they are to get around.” This made Regina pause for a moment. She’d read some of Henry’s comics, and suddenly his nickname for the girl made sense. 

“The Superman comics? The Kryptonians? They’re true?” Regina implored of the girl. If Cassi was really like the Kryptonians, maybe they could ease people’s fears with this knowledge. 

“Yeah, but I’m not a super hero.” Cassi said emphasizing the ‘not’.   
“Could have fooled me.” Regina tossed back.  
“I’m not though, and I certainly don’t want to be. I used to be normal, here I have to choose to be either a villain or a hero. Why do I have to choose at all?” Cassi’s impassioned reply caused Regina to pause.

Cassi’s outburst showed she had clearly been thinking about this issue before. People tended to be very black and white in their views. This was something Regina was familiar with. She didn’t choose her life, it was thrust upon her and she responded. She responded poorly, and it wasn’t a road she wanted Cassi to choose just because she felt she had to. 

“How about we read some of Henry’s novel? Maybe this boy has had better luck with choosing his fate.” Regina said gesturing to the novel in Cassi’s hand.

“You want to read it with me?” Cassi questioned.

“Sure, how about I read it aloud?” Regina smiled taking the book Cassi handed to her. 

Regina read aloud and Cassi listened to the story. They made it through the first chapter, and then Cassi had begged for another. Regina reluctantly agreed. She was enjoying the story as well, but Cassi’s eyes had been drooping. When Regina finished the second chapter, she looked over to see the young girl now silently sleeping on her bed. Regina sighed and closed the book. She gave the girl a light shake, but she just burrowed down farther into the covers. When thunder cracked a second later, she burrowed into Regina’s side. Looks like Regina was going to have a sleepover tonight.


	5. Housemates and Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somebody new finds out about Mini Supergirl. What will Regina have to sacrifice to help Cassi keep her secret?

The next morning, Regina woke up to a furnace draped across her. Cassi had snuggled into her in the middle of the night. Her head was tucked into her shoulder, and an arm and a leg were thrown across Regina’s body. For being so tiny, the girl’s limbs weighed a ton! Regina finally managed to slide out of bed, and went downstairs to get some coffee and start breakfast. 

By the time Regina had nearly finished the bacon and apple pancakes, Cassi sleepily walked into the room. Her eyes were still half shut, but she was sniffing the air like a basset hound.

“Sm’lls good.” Cassi mumbled sleepily. She hopped onto a bar stool at the counter near Regina. 

“Thank you,” Regina responded, “should be ready soon.” There was silence until Regina dished out the food on the table. Cassi had risen and poured juice for Regina and herself. Regina had watched her fly to the cupboard with cups with a small smile. Once they began eating, Cassi decided it was time to get down to business.

“So,” Cassi began but swallowed her mouthful of food before continuing, “what do you need help with around here?” 

“Well,” Regina began, “as the assistant mayor I could keep you busy doing things around town for weeks. At the house, just cleaning a few things as of now. I’ll make you a list.” 

“Okay, I’m… not sure how I feel about being the town helper though.” Cassi said unwilling to bite the hand that was literally feeding her, but not ready for people to think she was here to play the town’s new hero. 

“Oh no! The things around town can be done in secret. If I go with you, most people won’t bother to come around anyways. Even if I am cleaning up their messes.” Regina responded with a heavy somber chuckle.

“Why not?” Cassi asked kind of liking the idea of being able to help without being bothered. 

“I used to be the Evil Queen, it’s a hard title to shake off. Even after you’ve countlessly saved the lives of the people you cursed. It’s why I’m only the assistant mayor too. Snow couldn’t do the job alone, but we knew the people wouldn’t want me back in charge. So she does the work with the people, and I do the background stuff.” Regina explained. She was truly happy with the situation, and she preferred to not have a bunch of idiots running around complaining to her all day. She honestly didn’t know how Snow handled it. 

“It doesn’t seem quite fair,” Cassi said pausing not wanting to be rude.

“It’s fair enough for me.” Regina reassured with a smile, “Plus, it could come in handy for you as well. If you want to help, you can help me without anyone bothering us.” 

“Okay, I like that idea!” Cassi said now reassured that Regina wasn’t too bothered by the situation in the town. Cassi supposed she could get used to the idea as well. It did seem tedious to have to be a true hero.When a knock sounded at the door, both ladies turned to stare at it. Cassi in apprehension, Regina in utter shock.

“I never have visitors.” Regina said completely puzzled at who was knocking. If it was Zelena or Henry, they just barged in.

“Is it someone looking for me?” Cassi asked worriedly having missed hearing the person approach the door. She was still ready to run out of there. 

“I doubt it. No one knows you’re here.” Regina said rising and throwing her plate in the sink. “Go upstairs, and stay there until I figure out who it is.” Regina commanded. She was pleased Cassi nodded in agreement without question. When Regina turned around, the girl and her plate were gone. Her eye-roll almost hurt her head. She’d have to discuss the house rules about not taking food upstairs. Henry often tried to sneak food as well, but she didn’t trust either of them not to make a mess. Regina checked the peep hole and saw Emma Swan standing on her door step. She opened it quickly and let Emma in. 

“Emma, Henry forget something this morning?” she asked stepping back to let her in. Emma was dressed for work it appeared, and she couldn’t imagine why else she’d be stopping.

“No, he’s fine.” she said the paused. She seemed to be contemplating something so Regina waited for her to continue. “The nomads said Cassi packed all of her things and left last night.” Emma finally let out in a rush. Regina wasn’t surprised to see how troubled she was. Emma prided herself on being able to find people, especially missing children. She knew she couldn’t tell her Cassi was literally under her nose, but she could help reassure her.

“Where do you think she went?” Regina questioned not enjoying that she’d have to lie to Emma. She hoped she’d have more time to convince Cassi to talk to Emma.

“I’m not sure. The nomads aren’t happy about it though. Said she took a bunch of things from them before they left.” Emma’s face told her she didn’t believe that either. She had noticed the other children stealing from her as well over her days searching. 

“Oh I’m sure our little thief took all their gold and silver.” Regina’s eye roll made Emma chuckle. 

“Go out there with me today?” Emma asked with a hopeful smile. The nomads seemed to like Regina better than the law enforcing Savior. She had backed their decision to stay in the woods as a group. 

Many people had wanted all of the refuges to stay in the housing Storybrooke had established for them. The nomads had decided to stay out at the crash site. Regina had argued for their cause, but negotiated a requirement for their children to attend their schools and learn about life here. The nomads had agreed and held a Regina in high esteem for her respect and intimidation tactics in the negotiations. 

“Sure,” Regina said pausing to think of Cassi upstairs, “let me change and we can go.” Regina said hurrying towards the stairs already.

“Hey!” Emma called and Regina turned around, “I smell bacon, is there any left?” Emma asked smiling with her puppy dog eyes.

“In the kitchen, help yourself.” Regina was smiling but rolled her eyes. How come everyone in her life was ruled by their stomachs and their nose? Speaking of people ruled by their stomachs, Regina quickly went upstairs to search for Cassi. 

“Cassi!” Regina whispered into the hall upstairs. Cassi popped her head out of Regina’s doorway with the plate of pancakes in hands and a bite in her mouth. Regina’s eye rolls were going to be well used. 

“Inside! And you better not have spilled your pancakes on anything. No food upstairs.” Regina said rushing into her walk-in closet. 

“I didn’t! Whoa!” Cassi said having followed Regina into her closer. “You have so many clothes!” Cassi said looking around eagerly.

“Yes, please don’t get syrup on anything or laundry will be your first chore.” Regina said as she quickly picked out clothes and rushed into her bathroom. She closed the store and quickly started changing her clothes. Cassi leaned against the outside of the door to make sure Regina could hear her.

“The sheriff is downstairs looking for me?” Cassi stated in a questioning tone.

“Yes, but your secret is safe with me. I didn’t tell her anything, but you’re going to have to talk to her at some point.” Regina reassured the girl but let her discomfort with the situation come through.

“I know. I have super hearing too. I’ll think about talking to her. Keep her busy for a while though? I don’t know what I want to say.” Cassi watched Regina breeze back into the room. 

“Say about what?” Regina questioned going to brush her hair out.

“My powers. What I intend to do with them. How to make them seem less intimidating.” Cassi shrugged thinking back to the conversation in the sheriff station she’d listened in on.

“Emma will understand that.” Regina reassured again. She gave up on her hair and decided to use magic to finish getting ready.

“Will her parents?” Cassi asked looking at Regina through the mirror. Regina turned to look at the girl seriously. She wasn’t as sure about the others in town.

“I will keep my mouth shut for now, but think about it for a while. Do you have a cell phone?” Regina questioned thinking about how to get in touch with the girl.

“Yeah.” Cassi said holding one up in her hand now. It’d been balanced in her hand underneath the plate of pancakes.

“Oh,” said Regina slightly shocked, “I will program my number into your phone. If you need me, call me. I’ll also text you a list of chores you can do over the next few days. Get settled in as well.” Regina said taking the girls phone and quickly programing in her number. “Do I want to know how you’re paying for that?”

Cassi shrugged her shoulders truly not knowing. Henry provided the phone. He taught her to use is and made sure she could always call him. He’d even downloaded a few games for her.  
“We’re going to change some of that as well. We’ll talk about it later.” Regina said on her way out of the bedroom. She stopped to touch Cassi under her chin.

“Maybe stay inside today. Enjoy a free day.” Regina smiled but hoped Cassi did as she told. When Cassi smiled and nodded, Regina felt more assured about how her day was going to go. While Regina walked out of the room, Cassi softly called to her.

“Have fun looking for me!” Cassi’s cheery voice rang in her ears as she left. She could hear the teasing fun in the young girl’s voice. When Regina walked downstairs, she found Emma munching on the food she’d left out. 

“Ready to go she asked?” Regina smiled and grabbed her cup of abandoned coffee from earlier. She moved to dump it in the sink.

“Have company this morning?” Emma asked. Regina spun around in shock.

“What?” she asked hoping Emma read her shock as puzzlement. 

“There’s a glass of orange juice on the table. You never drink orange juice.” Emma said nodding to Cassi’s abandoned glass. 

“Yes,” Regina drawled thinking on her toes, “I had a visitor last night who stayed in my bed, then had orange juice with me this morning.” Regina knew it sounded like a dirty innuendo and hoped Emma took it as the joke she intended. When Emma laughed she knew she was going to be fine. 

“I can drink other juice than apple juice.” Regina said proving her point and taking a sip. She didn’t care for the acidic juice, but she could drink it.

“Okay, point proven.” Emma said chuckling holding up her hands in mock defeat. “Let’s go.” Emma hopped up from the table and led Regina out of the room. She held the door while Regina walked out. Regina glanced back but saw no signs of Cassi. She hoped not to see her the rest of her day ‘looking’ for her either. 

 

Cassi spent the afternoon wandering around Regina’s house. She cleaned up breakfast, and then went to put her stuff away in her room. It didn’t take her long, but she moved slower than she normally did to take more time. She showered, and then went to explore the living room. Henry had had her over before and played video games on it while Regina was gone. He said his aunt would be over later to challenge him and needed to practice. Henry certainly had an interesting life. 

Cassi was busy playing Henry’s shooting game when her phone tinged with a message notification. It was from Regina telling her a list of chores to do. As soon as she finished this round, she’d get started. Not two minutes later, Cassi froze when she heard the door open and heels clicking on the foyer. She froze on the couch and hoped they were Regina’s. It was too late to hide; she knew the person had to of heard her videogame.

“Henry? You play hooky again?” the woman called as she walked through the house. When she entered the room with Cassi, she stopped and arched an eyebrow at her.

“Hello,” the woman with red hair and green eyes drawled out with her accent, “you’re the little Supergirl, aren’t you?” 

Cassi swallowed nervously and raised her controller in greeting. She heard her character die on the screen. The woman instantly started laughing and nearly doubled over with it except for the baby she held in her hands. 

“Does Regina know you’re here?” she asked smiling widely at the door and coming closer. “She does, doesn’t she?” Cassi nodded her head meekly. The woman was almost crying with laughter now. “Here. Hold Robin. I’m calling Regina, then I’m going to beat you in that videogame.” Zelena said nodding at the screen. 

Cassi’s player was frozen where she had respawned. Cassi fumbled for a moment when the woman placed the baby in her arms. The baby, Robin, Cassi mentally corrected, was an adorable cherub with green eyes that were brighter than hers. Cassi loved her immediately.

Regina was at the nomadic campsite when her phone rang. They were just about to leave when Emma had been stopped by a man in the group about getting his drive license. It seemed the word about getting a license had spread throughout the group. 

“Hello?” Regina said after glancing at her phone to see that her sister had called. 

“Regina, lovely surprise I had today. Want to guess what it was?” Zelena asked cheerily. It was the same tone she used whenever she knew something others didn’t. 

“You’re in my house!” Regina declared knowing her sister had discovered Cassi.

“Adorable ward you have, sis. Does this mean the Savior knows she’s here?” Zelena’s gloating tone ran though the phone. 

“I was respecting Cassi’s wishes.” Regina hissed quietly into the phone. Thankfully no one was close to her at the moment. 

“Going against the wishes of the Charming Sheriff Squad though, isn’t it?” Zelena’s building up was getting obnoxious.

“What do you want?” Regina demanded.

“The restrictions for the videogames, I want it lifted.” Zelena set her demands high.

“I will not have you playing videogames all night again.” Regina said clearly not willing to go that far.

“Three hours a day isn’t going to cut it if I want to beat your son, Regina. You’ve raised an over achiever.” Zelena didn’t know how Henry did so well with such little practice time. Zelena was sneaking in constantly to practice. 

“I’ll double the hours if you keep this quiet.” Regina conceded. She always softened thinking of Henry, even if she hated him playing the games so much as well.

“You’re getting soft Regina; I would have taken five.” Zelena said pleased with the outcome.

“What were you doing in my house anyways?” Regina questioned wishing to be done with the conversation.

“Gotta go, sis! Have fun with the Savior!” Zelena’s line went dead. Regina knew she’d been sneaking in.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family, fluffy shenanigans for our outcasted women. Mom Regina rallying her wards to be productive, responsible citizens of Storybrooke.

When Regina got home, Zelena and Cassi were both sitting in the living room. They were both shouting at each other as their characters shot at each other on the screen. Regina never understood how everyone loved shooting at each other on the screen.

Baby Robin was laying in a bassinet. Regina bent down to tickle her toes. The baby smiled up at her with a dimple and bright green eyes. Despite their differences, she loved when Zelena brought the baby over. 

“STOP SHOOTING ME!” exclaimed Cassi from her position next to the baby. Robin didn’t even jump. Just happily gurgled with her toes in her mouth. The baby didn’t fuss over loud noises, but leave her in her crib at nighttime alone and she instantly started crying. 

“It’s part of the game, darling.” Zelena said smirking. Her unnatural talent at videogames had quickly become an obsession. 

“Have either of you done anything today?” Regina asked moving to stand in the middle of the screen. Both of the girls in front of her whined in protest.

“Regina.” Zelena moaned. 

“You two cannot spend your entire day playing videogames.” Regina’s patience was constantly tested in her fights with her sister and Henry over videogames. She didn’t need Cassi becoming just like them.

“Did you finish your chores, Cassi?” Regina questioned. 

“All done by the time your sister got here,” Cassi grinned cheekily, “super-speed.” 

Regina rolled her eyes and looked at her sister. “What about you? Find a job?”

Zelena tsk’d in response. “Regina,” Zelena started seriously putting her controller down, “we’re two powerful women. We don’t need jobs; we didn’t cause the mess this time. We’re not responsible for it.” 

“It’s not Emma’s responsibility either, but she’s out there placing the people from the Land of Untold stories and searching for little girls who are perfectly safe.” Regina waved over at Cassi.

“I saved Henry. Why does she have to look for me at all? I solved a mess for them already too.” Cassi said taking Zelena’s tone. 

“Both of you, up, now.” Regina snapped pointing towards the door. 

“WHAT?!” they both shrieked. 

“You heard me, we’re going to go actually do something for this town.” Regina said flicking the tv off over the protests. 

“Both of us?” Zelena demanded. 

“Yes both, you’re teaching Cassi to have a bad attitude. You’re also running up my electricity and water bill, you owe someone money for it. You help me, or you help the town to cover it.” Regina challenged the two protesting children in front of her. She leveled her day for Cassi.

“If you want to remain a missing alien, I’d get moving.” Regina said nodding toward the door. Cassi stomped off irritably. When Regina turned towards her sister, she simply cocked an eyebrow. 

“I’m not hiding anything. I own my wickedness; you can’t blackmail me.” Zelena taunted reaching towards her previously discarded controller. It disappeared in a puff of purple smoke just as Zelena’s hand nearly made contact.

“HEY!” Zelena protested moving to block the console from Regina’s magic, but she was too late. The console, extra controller, and games all disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Zelena just glared at her sister.

“You can have them back after you get a better attitude.” Regina huffed moving to pick up baby Robin. She walked out of the room with her and saw Cassi putting on shoes and a coat. She also heard Zelena get up and moving behind her. 

“You both can meet me at the far end of the housing development. No one will be down there today so we can work out there. Does anyone need a lift over? Regina asked with an arched eyebrow. She knew working somewhere that public was a stretch for the two. She was also fairly confident that no one would come out if Regina spread the word that she would be using magic to help speed the process along. 

Zelena poofed away in a cloud of green smoke. Cassi moved closer and stroked Robin’s foot. “What are you going to do with her?” Cassi questioned with her head tilted. “I’ll take her with me. I imagine we’ll all be far safer than a bunch of dwarves running around with heavy machinery.

“Okay, I’m going to fly over. I’m not a fan of cars.” Cassi wrinkled her nose and walked off towards the back door with a wave. Regina pulled out her phone and quickly texted Snow that she was going to work at the housing development today. 

Snow’s quick reply assured Regina that Snow was on her phone as usual. The woman had found a lot of joy in the technology advances Storybrooke was going through. Being able to constantly communicate with her loved ones had been an exciting update in the younger woman’s life. Regina was on the receiving end of that love a little too much for her liking where cellphones were involved. 

She pocketed her phone and bounced the adorable baby on her hip. “This is going to be a long afternoon, Robin.” Robin gurgled and kicked in Regina’s arms. “Let’s go get a few of your things first.” Regina said before transporting the two of them to collect some of the baby’s things. She planned to keep her workers occupied for a few hours.

Cassi landed roughly in the lot at the far end of the housing development. She had just watched the last few workers leave after one of the dwarves had received a text from Snow. They really did clear out if Regina mentioned she’d be using magic. Cassi knew Zelena had appeared with a bag of food as the last few workers were leaving. Zelena sat down on a low cement wall and pulled out her food. The smell had persuaded Cassi to fly down despite the fact the others hadn’t left the development yet.

“What are you eating?” Cassi asked watching Zelena munch on French fries. Cassi was a huge fan of the unhealthy snack. Zelena tossed her a white bag. She caught it easily and opened it to find another order of fries. “No way!” Cassi said excitedly immediately shoving a handful into her mouth.

“Don’t let my sister see you eat like that; she scolds children who eat like the three little pigs.” Zelena’s comment was her just trying not to appear soft. Cassi knew the woman like her. She’d bought her fries and played videogames with her all afternoon. Cassi shrugged and moved over to sit beside the red head. 

“Snow White must be the person Regina texts to let people know where she’s working so they leave her alone. That’s who told the workers she was coming.” Cassi said eating another fry. They were warm and salty still. 

“Not surprised, heard the woman had a big mouth. I’m not sure that arrangement started out that friendly either. How’d you know that though? That Snow was the one who short men?” Zelena asked studying the small girl beside her. 

She and Cassi had talked while they were playing videogames. She gathered that the girl had a lot of powers, and that using her powers made her incredibly hungry. The girl’s stomach had been growling loudly halfway through the morning. When Zelena told her to go eat some food, she’d also learned that the girl didn’t know how to cook. It had taken Zelena a while to learn how to cook in this realm too, and she had magic to help her. She had been steadily feeding Cassi and Robin all morning. She was sure the young girl had consumed three solid meals already, but she was still hungry every time Zelena offered her food. She’d have to discuss her sister’s grocery budget with her. 

“I heard them talking about it.” Cassi shrugged eating the fries slower now.

“You heard them? From way up there?” Zelena questioned nodding up to the sky. She knew the girl had been flying around, but she didn’t know she could hear them talking down here too.

“Yep,” Cassi said swallowing a bite of fries, “I have super hearing too.” 

They ate in companionable silence for a moment before Zelena finally responded to Cassi. 

“So, you can hear everyone’s conversations from way up there?” Zelena’s tone should have made Cassi hesitant to answer, but the girl was engrossed in her fries. “Yep,” she said again.

“Can you only hear them if they’re outside talking?” Zelena inquired trying to gauge just what all the girl could hear. 

“Nope, I can hear them inside too. I kind of have to focus on it then to understand it, I’m good at tuning it out.” Cassi was reaching the end of her fries. She began to rummage around in the bottom of her bag.

“I bet you’ve used your super hearing to spy on people, haven’t you?” Zelena concluded easily inferring how the girl knew she needed to concentrate on conversations when listening to them. “Of course,” Cassi shook the last crumbs of fries into her mouth, “why?” 

Zelena was about to answer when Regina appeared. Her cloud of purple smoke announcing her arrival. She had a bag of Robin’s things, and she looked disappointedly at the bags of take out. “Stocking up on greasy fuel for all your hard work?” Regina asked.

“They’re delicious! Have you tried them?” Cassi asked smiling happily. Zelena noticed the girl was always in a good mood after she ate. She also knew how she planned to bribe the girl for her help later.

“I have, I also know how bad they are for you. Are you two ready to work?” Regina sat the baby’s things down the shaded play area up for her niece. The two girls dramatically threw their fry bags in the air in exasperation at having to do work then giggled. The two were clearly keyed up with mischievous energy, and Regina wondered what they had been doing before she arrived. Regardless of whatever it was, she knew she had a long evening ahead of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zelena shenanigans will be coming soon! Her new friendship with Mini Supergirl is going to begin setting things in motion for SwanQueen in the next chapter.


	7. Swan Queen is Coming!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the title says. Some Swen fluff in this Chapter. Hook and Emma are still together... for now. We also finally get down to business with Zelena and Cassi.

“Hey, mom!” Henry said grinning at Regina from ear to ear. The boy was always in a good mood after school. Regina suspected it was because he got to walk Violet home everyday.

“Hello, Henry. How was school?” Regina asked as she slid into the booth across from him at Granny’s. 

“Good! Snow’s introducing archery classes into the curriculum, and now they’re talking about adding sword fighting too!” Henry was beaming with enthusiasm. He loved ‘learning his princely duties,’ as Henry liked to say. Regina was not a fan of some of those ‘duties’. 

“Sword fighting? Really? When will you ever need to sword fight in Storybrooke?” Regina scoffed at the idea of it.

“Everyone’s sword fighting all the time, Mom. Next you’ll be sword fighting too!” Henry was just as exasperated with Regina’s dislike of sword play.

“I’ll stick to my fireballs.” Regina rolled her eyes at the notion. She hadn’t had to use that skill since she learned it. Magic was more than enough in a confrontation. 

Just then, Emma and Hook stroll over to the table. Emma greets them with a, “Hey!” the same time Hook says, “Hey, mates!” Emma nudges Regina and says, “Scoot over.” Regina rolls her eyes again but the blonde knows she’s teasing. Especially when Regina still moves over. Hook slides in beside Henry.

“How’s the love life, mate?” Hook asks with a smug grin. He was quite proud that Henry had a girlfriend. The two frequently discuss Henry’s relationship. It bothered Regina a bit. She wasn’t sure what kind of dating advice the pirate was giving, but she was hoping Charming’s talks balanced out Hook’s. Her son was going to end up wildly confused.

“Good! Violet and I are going to sign up for sword fighting together!” Henry’s megawatt grin said there was no way Regina was going to talk him out of the class now.

“The young royal lass wants to sword fight?” Hook asks just as shocked as Regina was to hear the news. Violet seemed to be such a mild mannered girl, with an over protective father as well.

“She said if she’s going to go on adventures with me she wants to have a way to defend herself.” Henry speaks proudly of his girlfriend.

“Well you can defend the lass if trouble arises.” Hook responds. 

“I don’t see any reason she shouldn’t be able to defend herself.” Henry said defensively. 

“Exactly, kid. Girls don’t need guys to defend them when they can defend themselves.” Emma said leaning into Regina to look at her menu.

“Planning on sticking around for dinner, Miss Swan?” Regina says tilting her menu out of the blonde’s way. Emma simply snatches it out of her hand to look at it.

“Like you don’t already know what you’re getting?” Emma teased eyeing the menu. 

“Your dietary variety is no better than mine, at least mine is healthy.” Regina nodded over towards Red who was watching for them to order.

“Mine has more options at least.” Emma teasingly responds.

“What’ll it be guys?” Red’s chipper voice asks as she comes over to the table.

“Kale salad and an iced tea.” Regina said.

“Salad, root beer and a burger.” Henry smiled and handed off his menu to Hook.

“Chowder and coffee.” Hook said handing the menu off to Red. There was a pause and Emma still didn’t order.

“Grilled cheese or cheeseburger?” Red ask teasing Emma as well.

“Cheeseburger and fries.” Emma said scoffing at Red hopping in on the teasing, “want to guess my drink?”

“Root beer it is!” Red said cheekily snatching Emma’s (Regina’s) menu and turning to walk away.

“What if I wanted something different?!” Emma called after her. Red didn’t even pause, just waved her off. The table chuckled at the banter.

 

Cassi landed gently on the roof of Granny’s, the popular place to find food in town. Zelena had told her to meet her there, but not to mention it to Regina. She had complied against her better judgment, but she certainly wasn’t going to wait around for the woman to show. A puff of green smoke announced the witch’s arrival. 

“Good, you’re here.” Zelena said clapping her hands together when she spotted the girl.

“Yeah, why?” Cassi demanded not wanting to walk into trouble again.

“You like my sister, right?” The woman asked stepping closer to the young girl.

“Of course, she’s like… the best cook I’ve found in three realms and six planets.” Cassi said instantly. 

“Right, -wait what?” Zelena said whipping her head back and forth. “You know what, later. You want Regina to be happy don’t you?” Zelena asked already liking Cassi’s disposition. 

“She’s not happy?” Cassi asked worriedly. 

“Think about what you’ve seen so far. What have you noticed about Regina?” Zelena prompted.

“She needs to have for more fun.” Cassi guessed questioningly. 

“Yes. That’s quite obvious. Notice anything missing?” Zelena prompted throwing the girl a bone.

“Missing?” Cassi asked shocked, “have you seen the woman’s house?” 

“That’s not what I mean. Think about family, is there anyone in Regina’s family that might be missing?” Zelena asked leading the girl’s thoughts.

“Her parents?” Cassi asked mournfully.

“God no, our mother was trouble dead and alive. Regina doesn’t need more stress; she needs someone to relieve her of it.” Zelena ranted. 

“She needs a mate!” Cassi exclaimed catching on.

“YES!” Zelena said excitedly, “know anyone that might make a good uhhh… mate for Regina?” 

“Everyone seems afraid of her still.” Cassi said loosing some of her excitement. 

“Everyone? Really? No one comes to mind?” Zelena said making obvious eye gestures into the dinner below. Cassi paused a moment to focus in on the conversation below them. Regina was talking to the blonde sheriff, Henry’s other mother, Emma. They bantered together about their orders, and Cassi instantly picked up on the affection between the two women. Their heart rates even sped up a little whenever one accidently touched the other.

“Regina and Emma!” Cassi gasped reaching the conclusion Zelena had reached ages ago.

“Exactly!” Zelena cheered now giddy with her plan.

“Isn’t she with the man with all the eye liner though?” Cassi asked.

“Easy transition,” Zelena waved off thinking about her plan, “Regina used to wear that much eyeliner in her evil queen days. Didn’t stop Emma from ogling her when they traveled back in time.” Zelena said beginning to pace a little bit.

“They time traveled?” Cassi asked awed after catching what the woman had said.

“Emma and Hook did. They cheated. They used my spell. It’s not that impressive.” Zelena shrugged off the comment. “What’s really important here is that they realize they’re perfect for each other.”

“Aren’t you suppose to be kind of wicked still?” Cassi questioned.

“And that means I can’t want my sister to be happy? Besides, it should be fun helping those two idiots realize they love each other. They can’t seem to do it alone.” Zelena’s tone said she was conspiring a plan. 

“So, it’s up to you to help them?” Cassi asked not sure she was wanting to be apart of this.

“If I could do it alone, I wouldn’t ask you to be here. Now, tell me what’s going on so I can come up with a plan.” Zelena said leaning down closer to the girl’s level. Cassi started telling Zelena what was going on. She hoped by being involved in the plan she could keep Zelena from wreaking too much havoc in her sister’s life.

 

Regina, Emma, Henry, and Hook were enjoying dinner together when one of Hook’s crew members ran into the diner.

“Captain! Captain!” the man yelled wildly searching the diner.

“Over here, mate!” Hook said raising his Hook.

“Come quick, Captain! It’s the ship!” the man ran up to him but stopped short when Hook sprung from the booth.

“My ship?!” Hook demanded worriedly.

“It’s being over run by monkeys! It’s that blasted witch again! She’s cursed us with monkeys again, and they’re throwing everything overboard!” the man was waving his hands frantically.

“My RUM??” Hook demanded.

“They’re throwing the rum too, Captain! We have to hurry!” the man knew his captain would be distraught.

“Not my RUM!” Hook thundered.

“Do you need help?” Emma asked rising as well.

“If you want to help, track down her sister.” Hook said pointing his hook at Regina. He then hooked his crewmember’s shirt, and stormed off pulling the man behind him. Emma looked at Henry and Regina in shock. “Did you guys know Zelena has been attacking Hook’s ship with monkeys?” Regina and Henry both nodded and shrugged noncommittally. 

“She also set flying monkeys to harass the dwarves a few days ago. I heard them complaining to Grandma about it on the phone after lunch.” Henry said taking another bite of his burger. 

“Did you know about this?” Emma asked sitting back down beside Regina as she questioned her.

“I took care of it. She was just mad I have had her working on the housing development to pay for everything she's using.” Regina waved off the issue with a fork full of salad.

“Why does she have to work at the housing development?” Henry asked.

“She keeps breaking into my house to play videogames and shower.” Regina responded taking another bite of her salad.

“I KNEW it!” Henry exclaimed.

“Wait a minute,” Emma but in, “you guys both knew Zelena was terrorizing people and didn’t tell me?” 

“I took care of the issue.” Regina stated simply. 

“I’m the sheriff. I should at least know about it.” Emma insisted.

“You were busy.” Regina shrugged.

“You guys, seriously.” Emma insisted again.

“Grandma didn’t tell you either, she knew.” Henry pointed out.

“Are you guys ganging up on me again?” Emma demanded.

“Noooooooo…” Regina and Henry drawled together sarcastically. Emma huffed in frustration and took an angry bite out of her cheeseburger. Regina reached over to steal a fry, and Emma slapped her hand away. Henry made a quick grab and stole a handful. 

“Hey!” Emma insisted. The two Mills broke out laughing. Emma just couldn’t seem to stay mad anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Zelena and Cassi be successful in their match making? 
> 
> Yes, (eventually) because this is fanfiction. 
> 
> How will they do it? Keep reading and find out!


	8. Monkeys in a Barrell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelena and Cassi begin their match making and wildness ensues. They're quite the duo. More SwanMills family fun as well.

“Well?” Zelena demanded poking the young girl who’d gone silent again.

“They’re being cute!” Cassi sighed out dreamily.

“Have we learned anything helpful then?” Zelena demanded. It was harder to rely on a child than she’d thought. She’d squeal out in excitement if something happened, but she wouldn’t explain any of it. 

“Emma loves her food.” Cassi responded dramatizing the ‘love’ bit out.  
“I already knew that.” Zelena said rolling her eyes, “anything else?”

Cassi paused to think about what she was hearing, “She likes when Regina and Henry tease her.”

“Tease her?” Zelena asked.

“Yeah,” Cassi paused trying to explain it, “I think she likes when Regina and Henry are on the same side. She didn’t seem to like it until they ‘ganged up on her’.” Cassi made air quotes around the unfamiliar phrase. 

“Anything else?” Zelena asked not sure how she was going to use that information yet.

“I think they’re leaving!” Cassi said jumping in shocked excitement, “are we going to follow them?” 

“You follow them. Don’t get caught. I have to go check on Robin.” Zelena said pulling out her compact.

“Did you leave your baby alone?!” Cassi gasped in shock.

“I’m a witch. I enchanted my mirror to be a baby monitor. I know she’s fine.” Zelena said turning the compact around to face Cassi as proof. “It even shows me different views of the house.” Zelena explained sliding her phone across the mirror like she’d seen people do with their phones. As she slid her finger, different views of her house came up. “I’m just a poof away if she needs me.” Zelena finished snapping the compact shut. 

“Cool.” Cassi said still a little awed at the tiny mirror. It resembled the phone Henry had given her. “Did you really put monkeys on the man’s ship?” 

“I did.” Zelena said smugly.

“Oh- my- RAO!” Cassi exclaimed excitedly, “Can I play with your monkeys?” 

“No, they’re busy tormenting people.” Zelena knew she was going to like Cassi now. 

“What about the flying ones?” Cassi begged, “I haven’t seen an animal that’s intelligent and can fly for realms!”

“First off, we’re going to discuss where all you’ve been at some point.” Zelena said eyeing the pint sized child, “Second, I’ll give you one if you help me get Regina and Emma together.” 

Cassi let out an excited squeal that Zelena had to shush. “Do you want them to know we’re up here?” Zelena demanded. Cassi shook her head while pinching her lips shut. “Good, now we need to plan how exactly we can get them to see how perfect they are for each other.” Cassi raised on hand while keeping the other one over her mouth to contain her excitement.

“Quietly.” Zelena warned.

“I have the perfect first idea.” Cassi said smiling a little cheekily herself. She was bouncing on her toes now, but staying rather quiet. Zelena was sure she could turn her into a Wicked little sidekick soon enough.

 

Emma, Regina, and Henry had left Granny’s and were heading to check on Hook at the docks. Since Hook hadn’t come back after dinner, the trio thought it was best to check on them. Well, Emma really thought they should check on him. The others weren’t that concerned.

They had just barely reached the docks and was watching Hook scramble to rid himself of the monkeys, but more seemed to appear all of the sudden. The entire crew was in a full scramble. Emma was looking up when she finally spotted a tiny, blonde headed girl giggling above the ship at all the monkeys. 

“That’s her! The tiny SuperGirl!” Emma pointed at her as she grabbed Henry’s arm in excitement. The young girl looked directly at them and winked. “Did she just wink?” Emma questioned. Regina and Henry looked at each other concerned, then paused to wonder why the other was so concerned.

“I have to go talk to her!” Emma yelled back at them already running off.

“Emma, wait!” Regina and Henry called together chasing her. They both got more concerned when the girl got closer to Emma willingly. It was not like her to seek out the people chasing her. Then, Cassi began singing.

“Catch me, catch me! Catch me if you can!” the girl taunted flying just above Emma. She floated over the docks, and of course Emma chased her. They ran over the pier, jumped fences, and dodged monkeys being hurdled over the side of the ship. They ran around the length of the pier to the open fishing dock on the far side of Hook’s ship. Regina and Henry chasing them the entire way. 

“Come back here! I just want- to- talk!” Emma grunted chasing the girl. She seemed to hover just above the edge of the pier and right inside Emma’s reach. She was giggling like it was all some fun game, and Emma would be damned if some flying ten-year-old got the better of her. She took a leap to catch her, and the girl flew up and right out of her gasp. Emma plunged into the water. 

“EMMA!” Regina and Henry yelled as Emma launched herself over the side of the dock. The fall wasn’t overly far, but the water was littered with screaming monkeys. A crew member threw one over board just feet beside the blonde, and Henry and Regina heard Emma shrieking as one started chasing her through the water. They watched the blonde disappear underwater to swim away from the beast.

“Cassi, Do SOMETHING!” Regina and Henry both yelled at the girl. She just giggled and flew away calling, “Regina has more magic than me, you go save her!” When she disappeared from their site, Emma popped above water only slightly farther than the still screaming monkey.

“MOM!” Henry yelled latching onto Regina’s arm, “do something!” 

Regina took a deep breath to think for a second, then held her hand out to the water. The water began to bubble around Emma, then she was blasted up and away from the water. She was sitting and riding on top a giant water spurt, shrieking, trying to find balance with her hands. 

“EMMA!” Regina yelled trying to get the blonde’s attention but failing. Emma somersaulted on top of the water spurt and righted herself gasping out water. Then, she started flailing again.

“MOM!” Henry yelled, then chortled as he watched his blonde mother struggle, “just stop moving!” Henry started full out laughing as Emma ignored him and nearly dove off the edge of the water spurt. Thankfully, Regina wasn’t as panicked as Emma anymore. 

“EM-MA!” Regina yelled trying to get the floundering blondes attention. With the monkeys, crew, and the blonde’s own panic, she wasn’t listening though. “MISS SWAN!” Regina finally belted out. Emma finally stopped squirming. She was soaked and looked at Regina in complete shock.

“Hold still!” Regina called and poofed her over to the sidewalk beside them. She reappeared in front of them in a puff of purple smoke and a puddle.

“Ummm. Thanks?” Emma offered to Regina.

“You’re quite welcome.” Regina responded offering her hand. Emma pulled herself and began wringing her hair out. “Have a nice swim?” Regina asked in mock innocence. Emma narrowed her eyes at Regina. 

“It was warmer than I thought it be.” Emma scoffed trying to get some dignity back.

“I thought you were trying to catch Cassi, not swim with monkeys.” Henry joked trying to contain his laugh. Regina let a chuckle slip before she composed herself again.

“You both think it’s soooo funny, don’t you?” Emma was less than amused that she had ended up in freezing water trying to catch the young girl. She had tricked her! Emma could see it now in hindsight, and couldn’t believe she’d fell for the girl’s trick. 

“It was a valiant effort, dear.” Regina offered touching her arm. 

“Valiant enough for a reward?” Emma’s hopeful tone made Regina pause.

“What kind of reward?” Regina’s asked with an arched brow.

“How about a hug?” Emma responded grabbing Regina’s wrist as she tried to pull away.

“Ohhhhh, no. You will not.” Regina commanded holding up a finger. 

“Do it! Do it!” Henry chanted from the side.

“Just a little hug, Regina.” Emma smiled coyly at her an advanced. For once, Regina was the one backing away frantically.

“This coat costs more than your entire outfit. You will not get it wet.” Regina had her entire hand up as if to physically block Emma’s soaking wet hug.

“Thank God for magic, right ‘Gina?” Emma said playfully right before she pounced. She wrapped Regina up in a tight hug and actually heard the queen squeal in her ear.

“MISS SWAN!” Regina gasped as she became soaked by the blonde’s hug. Emma spun her around playfully making sure to press the entire fronts of their bodies together. She knew she was soaking Regina, and she was laughing her head off having more fun than she’d had in ages.  
That was until both women became aware of just how close they really were, and that it was the first time they’d actually hugged like this. It was just the two of them. No Henry. No life or death scenario leading up to it. It was just a playful hug, and suddenly they were both all too warm.

“OW OW!” came a loud catcall from the ship. Hook was cheering from his boat, and his crew members, who had witnessed the blonde’s fall but not paid too much attention until now, were all looking as well. The two women jumped apart and Regina threw Emma a scowl. She shrugged sheepishly in response.

“How’s the water feel, Moms?” Henry asked coming up to lean on both of them. He was finally tall enough that he could balance his arm on their shoulders and lean on them.

“Why don’t you find out.” Regina responded flippantly. She wasn’t even looking at Henry when she said it, but Emma heard what she was really saying.

“Wha-,” Henry said confused until his Moms both wrapped him in soaking wet bear hugs, “MOMS!” Henry shrieked with a slight crack in his voice at the end. Both women laughed and hugged him tighter. 

 

 

From the roof of a building beside the docks, Zelena and Cassi watched the whole show. The two were now both sipping hot drinks, courtesy of Zelena, and were spying on the trio just out of sight. They had made themselves comfortable on the roof sometime ago, and Cassi had only left to initiate the plan.

“Well?” Cassi nudged Zelena with her arm. She was smiling smugly and sipping her hot chocolate. 

“That was a good first step.” Zelena relented taking a sip of her tea.

“They hugged! Look how adorable they all are!” Cassi said gesturing to the family. She was sure this was a huge step for them based on everyone’s reactions. She had heard both of the women’s heartbeats speed up when they realized they were hugging each other.

“You didn’t know they’d hug.” Zelena scoffed not letting the girl get too cocky.

“I knew Regina would save her though.” Cassi’s haughty reply said the girl’s ego was not going to be deflated. 

“Do you have a good follow up?” Zelena inquired of the girl.

“A follow up?” Cassi asked.

“Yes, not good plan is complete without a follow up. They’ve just started. They took a step, but it’s not going to have its full impact without the follow up.” Zelena explained pulling out her phone and shooting a text. Henry’s phone chimed in his pocket down below, and he pulled it out of his pocket. He was still laughing with his mom’s over their antics, but still took time to shoot a quick text back.

“What’d you send, Henry?” Cassi nosed her way into Zelena’s space to look at her phone. Zelena texted a quick reply, then tilted it in the girl’s direction.

The phone read:  
Zelena: Using your mom’s kitchen. Stall her from coming home too soon.

Henry: You know she get’s mad if it’s a mess.

Z: Brownies in exchange for at least one more hour?

…

“Are there really brownies?” Cassi asked with large eyes. Henry was quickly texting a reply from below. When it popped up on the screen, they both leaned into check the reply. 

H: Deal. Plus, I get to kick your butt in COD while I eat them.

Zelena rolled her eyes and sent a reply. “We get to play videogames AND eat brownies?” Cassi’s excited questions were going to get them caught. She was no longer using their hushed tone, and they really weren’t that far away. “Not if you get us caught.” Zelena responded after she sent her reply. Henry nodded and tucked his phone back in his pocket.

“Can we go back to Ma’s and change now?” Henry asked ringing his coat for dramatic effect. 

“Yeah, I’m freezing.” Emma shivered in her boots beside him. Regina took a step closer as if to warm her, but didn’t respond according to her actions. “I agree. I think I’ll go change as well.” 

“No!” Henry said making both of his mothers turn to stare at him. “I want a movie night. This has been fun! Let’s all go to Emma’s, put on sweats, and continue watching Star Wars. The new movie is coming out soon!” Henry said cheerfully. Both of his moms actually loved Star Wars. Regina just didn’t like to admit it to anyone outside of the family. 

“Alright with me, Regina?” Emma asked with equal enthusiasm. 

“I-” Regina paused unsure of the plan. She’d have to wear Emma’s clothes if she went back with them now, and she did not do sweats. 

“Please!” Henry and Emma begged with puppy eyes. 

“Fine!” Regina threw her hand up. The two cheered and grabbed her hands. The three disappeared in a cloud of smoke. 

“Where’d they go? Are we going to?” Cassi asked with big eyes. 

“I’m going. You’re going back to Regina’s.” Zelena commanded pulling her compact out again to check on Robin. 

“What? Why?” Cassi demanded.

“Because, this is my part of the plan and I need a babysitter.” Zelena responded tilting the compact towards the girl. Cassi’s face melted looking at the gurgling baby in the crib through the mirror. “I’ll come get you both when I’m done, and we’ll do brownies and games. Deal?” Zelena said finding this parenting/babysitting thing easier than she thought. 

“Deal!” Cassi said excitedly and blasting off. Zelena rolled her eyes but appreciated her enthusiasm. Now, she could move onto the second part of today’s plans.


	9. Swan-Mills Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SwanQueen has a movie night with their favorite series. Big surprise, it's a Star Wars night. We all know the Swan-Mills fangirl over the series. Things start getting gay this chapter too. Yay for Swen!

Emma, Regina, and Henry appeared just outside of Emma’s house. Together they all walked in chatting excitedly about the impromptu movie night. Regina and Henry were discussing snacks, and Emma decided to do something about her clothing.

“I’ll uh, go change my clothes. Do you want some sweats and a tshirt, Regina?” Emma asked hesitantly. She’d never seen Regina in ‘comfy clothes’. Even after their other movie nights. She usually just stayed in her clothes from work, and only kicked her shoes off to be more comfortable. Henry answered for her though.

“She likes leggings and hoodies.” Henry said pulling her brunette mother into the kitchen so she couldn’t argue. “We’ll be up in a minute to change too.” He called back as they left. Emma shook her head but went to change and find clothes.

When Regina and Henry entered the kitchen, they missed the puff of green smoke outside the window that led to the entrance of the snooping witch. Zelena wished she still had the girl’s super hearing, but she could make due. Regina turned on Henry the second they got into the kitchen.

“Just how well do you know this Cassi girl?” Regina interrogated. Henry was not one to be played anymore though.

“What about you? You seemed to know her well enough to demand her help.” Henry tossed back. Regina paused. They both just eyes each other for a moment. 

“She was stealing my apples.” Regina finally relented.

“You caught her?” Henry asked shocked.

“You knew?” Regina demanded back quick as lightening. Zelena was just as shocked. She had no idea Henry knew, and she was going to have to have a serious talk to find out what all, and who all, Cassi knew. 

“I told her to take them.” Henry confessed. He knew his mother was a sucker for children, and he doubted she chased her away when she found it.

“You told her to take them?” came Regina’s shocked reply.

“I may have met her a little before the accident.” Henry admitted, “She was being teased and the other kids took her stuff. I told her your tree had apples if she ever needed food.” Regina lost some of her steam then, and decided she might as well let Henry in on their secret now.

“Well, she won’t need to worry about food anymore.” Regina said shrugging out of her wet coat finally to stall, “I moved her in with me.” 

“You WHAT?!” Henry asked in complete shock, “does Mom know?”

“NO! SHHH!” Regina shushed him with a stern look, “Cassi asked me not to tell. I told her I wouldn’t, for now.” Regina knew her confession topped Henry’s.

“How long is she going to live there?” Henry asked quieter understanding Cassi’s need for privacy.

“As long as she likes.” Regina replied moving to hang up her coat. Henry moved to do the same.

“So, forever?” He grinned cheekily. Regina was now questioning if Henry knew Cassi better than she assumed. She’d made that same face a few times already now too.

“We’ll see. Are you okay with it?” Regina asked wanting Henry to know he had a say in this aspect of his life as well.

“Of course, I didn’t want her running around with the nomads. This is better than I could have dreamed!” Henry’s happy reply melted his mother’s heart. They really had raised him well.

“Did you have an operation for Cassi, too?” Regina asked partially teasing partially serious.

“Operation Krypton!” Henry replied happily. Regina smiled. She had related the young girl to the Kryptonians in Henry’s comics as well, but she had yet to learn where the girl was really from.

“Is that why you wanted Emma to find her?” Regina questioned. 

“I thought she could help place her in a home.” Henry shrugged.

“Well, don’t worry about it for now. Go change so we can watch a movie.” Regina shooed him out of the kitchen. Henry went upstairs to change, and Regina threw a bag of popcorn in the microwave to pop while she went to change too. She followed the staircase up and called for Emma. 

“In here! On your right!” Emma called back. Regina followed the sound of her voice to the end of the hallway. She gasped when she walked into the open doorway. Emma had changed into sweats, but was standing there in only a sports bra digging through a dresser. 

“Found them!” Emma said triumphantly holding up a pair of black leggings. Regina was still a little in shock to find Emma undressed, but she recovered smoothly enough.

“Couldn’t find a shirt as well?” Regina asked arching a brow. 

“You know you like it.” Emma chuckled and threw the leggings at Regina. She turned to pick up a hoodie from her pile on the bed, “I couldn’t decide which one you’d want so I’ve been waiting.” Emma began pulling different sweatshirts from the pile. Which was a good thing because she missed Regina’s blush from her first comment. 

“I’m sure I won’t really want any of them.” Regina teased back trying to cover her own discomfort. Emma turned around and help up two of the crewnecks she had. Each one had a different Star Wars image on it.

“I was thinking this one.” Emma said holding up a crewneck that read, ‘The Sass is Strong with this One.’ Regina couldn’t help but chuckle. The other one read, ‘PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW, Missed.’ 

“Oh, I’m definitely taking the ‘sass’ one.” Regina sassed taking it from Emma’s arms. 

“I thought that was how this was going to go.” Emma said shrugging it on, “Come on! I want to see it on!” Emma encouraged turning around to slip on the other sweater and clean up the spare hoodies. Regina decided to make Emma feel as uncomfortable as she did. She removed her jacket and blouse, and laid it on the dresser beside her. She made sure to take her time putting the sweater on so Emma would get a good look at her as well. As she had her sweater just over her eyes, she heard Emma’s gasp. She pulled it down slowly, and smiled at Emma’s deer in the headlight expression. When Emma saw Regina looking at her, her entire face flushed red.

“Are you okay dear?” Regina asked in fake concern, “You’re looking a little flushed.” Regina tugged the sweater into place and stepped towards Emma as if to check for fever. Emma took a step back, and Regina knew she’d had her payback. Emma found her just as attractive as she found her. It also made her just as uncomfortable.

“I’m fine.” Emma muttered turning to fold the sweaters again.

“Do you like the sweatshirt?” Regina questioned adjust the sweater. It really was quite comfortable. 

“Yeah, looks great.” Emma said quickly. She mentally kicked herself for answering so quickly. 

“I’ll go finish changing in the bathroom.” Regina said lifting the borrowed leggings from where she’d placed them on the dresser when she’d started training. Henry ran into the room wearing similar attire. 

“I smell the popcorn; you guys almost ready?” Henry grinned from ear to ear. He loved movie nights with both of his moms. Henry had a long sleeve shirt with the original cast members’ images on it. Regina had ordered it back when they’d been frozen in time. She used to wear the oversized shirt to bed, but Henry had stolen it and called it ‘vintage’. 

“Yeah, kid.” Emma said eager to remove herself from flustering situation, “We’ll go get the popcorn, and let your mom finish changing.” Emma shoved the hoodies back in a drawer.

“That was a good pick for Mom. You were right, Ma.” Henry said teasing his mothers. Emma flushed once again.

“Picked for who?” Regina asked shocked.

“You! You’re the sassiest!” Henry said as if it was obvious. Regina arched an eyebrow, “And Emma picked this out because I’m the ‘sassiest’?” 

“To be fair, Henry gives you a run for your money sometimes.” Emma said holding up her hands innocently.

“Hey!” Henry protested in mock outrage, “No need to turn a sweet gesture into name calling.” 

“Sweet gesture?” Regina inquired.

“Yeah, Ma was ordering a new one, and asked if you’d wear one so we could all match on movie nights.” Henry explained grinning and nudging his blonde mother hadn’t lost her flushed features yet.

“Oh, wow. Well,” Regina said surprised she’d thought of her, “Thank you, Emma. I appreciate you including me in the family fun.” Regina said sincerely. Emma smiled and got over some of her fluster, “You are apart of the family.” She said warmly. Regina swore her heart skipped a beat. She thought of Emma as family, but didn’t imagine Emma felt the same way about her. 

“Okay,” Emma said clearing her throat, “let’s go set up the movie.” Emma ushered Henry out of the room with her. Regina got moving to go change and join her family in the living room. She had never been more excited for family movie night.


	10. The Masterminds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelena, Cassi and Henry become the mastermind trio behind shipping SwanQueen in Storybrooke. We all know Henry has to ship his Moms together. He's all about their happiness, and Emma coming to save Regina.

Zelena couldn’t believe she’d caught Emma and Regina flirting so blatantly. She had flown on her broom around the house trying to figure out where everyone had gone and stumbled upon the women. She was just thinking she needed a plan to get her sister more comfortable with the blonde, but it looked like her sister was doing fine on her own. When she’d found the two women, they were in Emma’s bedroom changing clothes. They were also apparently taunting each other with partial nudity, now. So, this was going to be much easier than Zelena thought.

Zelena decided to send a quick text to Cassi to check up on her. ‘

Z: How are you and Robin?

Cassi texted back almost instantly with a picture of Robin in her crib at Regina’s.

Z: How’d you get her to Regina’s?

C: I flew. Duh.

Zelena rolled her eyes.

Z: Did I tell you you could take Robin to Regina’s?

C: Your house doesn’t have the game.

Z: I prefer breaking into, Regina’s. 

C: I prefer babysitting here. … Are they together yet?

Zelena glanced up to see Regina, Emma, and Henry all talking in Emma’s bedroom in coordinating Star Wars hoodies. Zelena snapped a picture and sent it to Cassi right before Emma and Henry turned to leave the room.

C: What’s Star Wars?

Z: Don’t ask or they make you do a movie marathon.

Zelena’s phone lit up with a text, but this time it wasn’t from Cassi. It was from Henry.  
H: Quit peeping on my mom. 

Zelena looked around but couldn’t see Henry now. She flew down to the other side of the house to the kitchen again. He and Emma were getting the popcorn into a bowl and pouring drinks. Henry sent another text.

H: Why are you being a stalker?

Zelena rolled her eyes. 

Z: I have plans.

H: Trying to hook my moms up?

Zelena looked wide-eyed at her phone. How did Henry know what she was up to? Cassi texted her back then as well.

C: I think I like movies. Henry showed me how to watch them on my phone.

Z: I think Henry knows about the plan.

Henry’s name blinked on her phone.

H: I’m the author. I already know the ending.

Zelena forgot the kid had so much power sometimes. He looked like any other teenager around here, but he already knew the ending to his mothers’ story apparently.

Z: So, how does it happen?

H: I don’t know. I only saw the end.

Z: You can see the end but not the actual story? Not a very good author….

H: (flipping the bird emoji) I’ll know the story as it happens. The story is not fated, the ending is. 

Z: Have an operation planned?

H: Only to get in on whatever you and Cassi are doing.

Zelena was shocked Henry knew Cassi was involved, and she paused in their texting conversation.

H: I’m her only friend. She tells me everything important about her day as it happens. Even if she doesn’t tell anyone else she does. 

Z: We’re going to need an actual meeting.

H: Tomorrow after school? 

Z: Regina’s house? 

H: Since you’re going to be there anyways….

Z: Exactly. 

Zelena finally clicked over to Cassi’s screen to talk to her about Henry, and she saw the girl’s reply.

C: I know, I told him. He already knew they belonged together too. Why do you think they have ‘family movie night’? 

Z: We’re having a meeting after school. You two need to fill me in exactly where we’re at with our plans. 

Zelena pocketed her phone after that. She knew where the girl lived. She couldn’t not be there. Especially if Regina had her on partial house arrest until she wanted to be found. Now, down to business.

Henry was sprawled out on one of the couches in Emma’s living room. Which left his mothers to share the other couch. When he was little, they all cuddled together on a couch for movie nights. It had been awkward at first, when Henry insisted they sit like that, but his mother’s almost always gave him what he wanted. By the second movie night, they all fell onto the couch naturally together. 

The first time Henry had claimed he needed an entire couch to himself, his mothers had awkwardly stared at each other for a moment before claiming the other couch together. It had taken all of an hour into the movie that night before they ended up curled around each other sprawled across the couch. It was how his mothers would also be spending this evening as well. Sometimes they came together naturally, sometimes they had to fall into each other slowly. 

Emma was already seated on one end of the couch, with the popcorn and drinks near the center of the couch. Regina came downstairs and took her place at the other end of the couch. She smiled at Emma when she picked up the drink she’d brought her. Emma smiled back and started the movie. 

Henry sneakily watched as his mothers inched closer together during the start of the movie. He also noticed the popcorn bowl moving subtly on the couch every time one of his moms went to reach for it. Each time, it moved closer to the woman who wasn’t reaching for it. Henry knew Zelena was trying to get them closer, but Henry knew it’d happen on his own. When Regina reached for it and it had moved again, she shoved the bowl of popcorn in Emma’s lap and scooted closer. Emma was bewildered by the suddenly rough treatment, but relaxed and threw her legs over Regina as she settled in closer to her. Henry wasn’t worried about his moms getting together. He knew they would, eventually. 

Zelena eventually gave up on the evening, and told Henry to text her when the movie was over. Turns out, there wasn’t much she could do during the movie. Regina and Emma had ended up cuddling so easily, Zelena decided to rework her plan. They were well ahead of where she thought they would be. Henry must have been working this operation longer than she thought. When she had walked into Regina’s, Cassi and Robin were in the living room watching a movie. 

“You’re back early.” Cassi said turning from the television to glance at Zelena.

“Henry has it under control.” Zelena said leaning down to check on Robin. She was resting peacefully, and she smelled of powder and formula. “Was Robin good?”

“Of course. You were not gone that long.” Cassi responded leaning to smile in at the sleeping baby.

“Okay, it’s time for our own movie night.” Zelena shooed Cassi away. She waved her hand and an old Disney movie began playing on the television.

“What are we watching?” Cassi questioned as the Disney theme song began on the television.

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.” Zelena said with a wicked grin settling onto the couch beside the young girl.

“The movie about Emma’s mother?” Cassi had heard about everyone’s fairytale identities, but didn’t know the back story behind all of them.

“Yes, it’s time we begin your education. We’ll start with this world, and work our way into the real stories.” Zelena explained as the singing cartoon idiot appeared on the screen. 

“Is Regina in this one?” Cassi leaned into Zelena as she asked her question. Zelena imagined she would be sleeping by the end of the movie.

“She is, make sure you tell her about watching this tomorrow.” Zelena poofed a blanket over the two of them and settled in. Zelena sent a quick text to Henry.

Z: Update me if anything happens.

H: Mom probably won’t be home.

Zelena was just about to ask why when a picture popped up in their messages. It was of Emma and Regina already sleeping on the couch. Emma was still stretched across Regina’s lap, but Regina had curled her legs onto the couch and passed out on Emma’s shoulder. Emma appeared to have made herself comfortable and slumped deeper into the cushions taking Regina with her. Zelena smirked and typed a quick response.  
Z: This is going to be a piece of cake.


	11. Scheming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after movie night for the SwanMills. Regina seems frazzled. Zelena, Cassi, and Henry have a sit down meeting together. What might they dream up together??

The next day, Zelena and Cassi were awoken by Regina storming through the house in the early morning hours. When the door slammed behind her as she rushed in, Robin woke with a start and began fussing. 

“Ugh,” Cassi whined, “make her stop.” 

“You can thank Regina for this.” Zelena sleepily murmured as she rolled over to pick up her daughter from the bassinet on the couch. Cassi climbed off the couch and flew upstairs to check on Regina. When she got to Regina’s door, she saw the typically impeccable Regina throwing clothes around like a mad woman.

“What’s going on?” Cassi asked. 

“I over slept, and now I’m running late to a meeting.” Regina said in a fluster as she began laying an outfit out on her bed.

“How are you late? You have magic, right?” Cassi hopped onto the bed beside Regina’s clothes.

“I do, but I have to know what I need in order to change my clothes.” Regina paused for a moment to prove her point. She had a full outfit, minus shoes. With a flick of her wrist and a snap of her fingers, Regina changed her clothes into the ones she’d had on the bed.

“Cool!” Cassi exclaimed awed. 

“Yes, it does save some time.” Regina muttered almost more to herself. She sat down at her dresser to brush out her hair. 

“Soooooo,” Cassi drawled out. Regina paused to glance at her. “Where were you last night?” Cassi’s tone implied exactly what she wanted. Regina rolled her eyes, “Family night, with Emma and Henry. Don’t tell me Zelena has started with you as well.” 

“What do you mean?” though Cassi’s innocent tone was faux, Regina didn’t notice. 

“She’s trying to find my ‘true love’.” Regina used her fingers to air quote the words, true love.

“What’s wrong with that?” Cassi inquired.

“I have already had two supposed ‘true loves’ die. I am not aiming for three.” Regina scoffed and set the brush down. She quickly used magic to finish her makeup then headed into her closet to find shoes.

“Why not? Maybe Emma would be interested.” Cassi called to Regina as she walked away. Cassi heard a soft thud in the closet that meant Regina must have tripped over something. “Regina?” Cassi called concerned when Regina didn’t respond.

“Absolutely not.” Regina said harshly as she dug for the heels she wanted.

“Why not? You, her, and Henry make a cute family.” Cassi decided to start out slow with her suggestion. Zelena stuck her head around the doorway to ease drop better. Cassi pointed to the closet, and Zelena stood in the hall bouncing Robin on her hip to keep her quiet.

“We are Henry’s family.” Regina insisted from the closet. Zelena made a motion with her hand for Cassi to continue.

“I bet he’d love if you guys were a real family though. You know living together, making breakfast, movie nights every night.” Cassi even dreamily loved the idea. She missed her family, but if she could make her own she already knew who she’d pick.

“Well, I refuse to the pirate move in so it’s never going to happen.” Regina slipped on her shoes from the closet door and Cassi shooed Zelena away. “Stay here today. Emma is more determined to find you now after yesterday’s stunt.” 

“What? Why?” Cassi said offended. Regina shot her a look and Cassi smiled sheepishly.

“It’s okay, but we’re going to need to tell her. Soon.” Regina came over to tilt Cassi’s head to look at her.

“So she and Henry can come live with us forever?” Cassi smiled hopefully. 

“Yes,” Regina’s tone was already dripping with sarcasm, “right after I start murdering people again and take care of Captain Guy Liner.” Regina grabbed Cassi’s hand and pulled her out of the room behind her. “I mean it. Stay inside today. Zelena’s grounded with you so won’t be bored.” Regina said raising her voice to make sure her sister could hear her in the kitchen. 

“What? Since when?” Zelena demanded sticking her head out of the kitchen door.

“Since that stunt you two pulled yesterday required me to wear sweats yesterday.” Regina shuddered on the word sweats. Zelena rolled her eyes at her sister and ducked back into the kitchen. “Have a good day you two!” Regina called over her shoulder. Regina was mid poof when she heard Cassi’s goodbye.

“Bye, ‘Gina!” 

Zelena and Cassi were sitting in the kitchen eating lunch when Henry arrived. Cassi heard him approach the house, squealed, and took off to greet him. When they came into the kitchen together. Cassi was carrying Henry in her excitement.

“Okay, put me down. I’m staying. I promise.” Henry said chuckling. Cassi finally put him down, and Henry dropped his backpack on the floor. 

“So, what’s for lunch.” Henry grinned and rubber his hands together.

“Don’t you have school?” Zelena questioned but got Henry a plate of the food she made. She was truthfully happy Henry was there. Cassi was more of a handful than she’d expected. All morning Cassi had cleaned for Regina. If Zelena messed up something she had clean, the girl would scold her or threaten her with her glowing eyes. She was worse than Regina herself with her neat freak habits. 

“It’s a half day. The school board is meeting with the town to introduce the new curriculum. That’s where my moms are. Henry sat down and took a bite of his sandwich. Cassi sat beside him and resumed eating as well.

“Speaking of your mothers, how long have you been trying to get them together?” Zelena questioned getting down to business.

“Since Neverland, they’re the most difficult women to work with though.” Henry sighed dramatically.

“Neverland?!” Cassi asked excitedly. Zelena had played that movie after Snow White last night. They had fallen asleep on the couch before the end, but Cassi had loved to see the flying children in the beginning. 

“That was years ago. If some people would quit cursing us, maybe I would have made more progress.” Henry sassed starring Zelena down.

“I only cursed you, like, twice.” Zelena responed, “your grandfather is far more troublesome than I am.” 

“Is your grandpa really Peter Pan?” Cassi asked. She liked the Peter Pan in the movie, but Zelena had explained that he was a bad guy in real life.

“No, Peter Pan is my great grandfather. My grandfather is Rumplestiltskin. It’s my dad’s dad.” Henry had attempted to explain his family tree to Cassi before, but he knew it was a lot to take in.

“Does he have a movie too?” Cassi continued her questioning.

“Not that I know of, but I think he’s in Shrek. We’ll watch that one later.” Henry smiled at her. It was hard not to enjoy Cassi’s presence. “The point is; things keep happening that stop my moms from being together. Right now, it’s peaceful. I say we start making our move now.” 

“My thoughts exactly.” Zelena responded gleefully.

“Oh, you have a plan?” Henry sassed.

“I do. We get them to move in together.” Zelean proud fully announced her plan.  
“They’re not even dating and you want them to move in together?” Henry scoffed. 

“Do you have to be mates to live together here?” Cassi asked.

“No, which is exactly why this will work. They need more private time. Where they can feel safe to explore their feelings.” Zelena elaborated much to Henry’s shock. 

“Umm, wow. That sounds like a mature plan. Go on.” Henry said shocked Zelena had thought that deeply into his mothers’ feelings.

“Well, we trash Emma’s house. Then, you and her move into here.” Zelena explained simply.

“I’ll help trash her house!” Cassi volunteered excitedly. She loved using her powers for fun, and destroying things was fun.

“Wait, we’re not trashing her house until our plans are more thought out.” Henry said physically putting his hand on Cassi to keep her in her seat. She tended to float when she got too excited.

“What do you mean? The plans perfect. Where else she going to go? Back to her parents?” Zelena scoffed at the idea. 

“Or to Hook’s. Remember him? Put some monkeys on his ship yesterday?” Henry said obviously, “He’s living there too. They’ll move back to his ship, and I’ll move back here.” 

“Emma will move here because we have better motivation.” Zelena said casually. She’d already thought it through. She wasn’t going to let two children mastermind all of her plans. 

“What motivation is that? I’m not cute and eleven anymore. She won’t move just because I ask her to now.” Henry stated.

“You might not be cute and eleven, but I know someone who is. I also happen to know Emma is quite interested in finding her.” Zelena put one hand up to ‘subtly’ point at Cassi. 

“Are you trying to use me as bait?!” Cassi demanded, “I’m also ten, not eleven.” 

“You were bait before.” Zelena reminded her.

“That was my plan.” Cassi emphasized the ‘my’. 

“Way to go!” Henry said holing his hand up for a high five. Cassi slapped it with a firm but gentle slap they had been practicing. Cassi’s highfives used to nearly break his hand. He was glad to see an improvement. 

“Well, not this is my plan and if you two have a better one I am all ears.” Zelena responded defensively. Neither Henry or Cassi said anything. 

“Will Emma make me go to jail?” Cassi asked nervously.

“No!” Zelena and Henry said at the same time. They starred at each other in shock. 

“No way, my mom doesn’t want to put you in jail.” Henry reassured.

“Anyone who does will have to go through me first anyways. You’re not going anywhere.” Zelena’s reassurance held an underlying threat to it. She may be helping the good guys now, but she was by no means good yet.

“So, we tell her I am here and that she can’t tell anyone?” Cassi was still unsure about the plan.

“We tell her that Henry has a lead on Cassi, and that Emma needs to spend the night so they can work on it while her house gets repaired. When she arrives, we explain that you’re staying here and don’t want anyone to know.” Zelena had thought that far ahead, and probably should have included those details so not worry Cassi. 

“Won’t Emma be mad Regina lied to her?” Cassi asked.

“Emma will understand. Don’t worry.” Henry had complete faith his blonde mother would understand Cassi’s desire to choose her home and stay where she felt welcome. Cassi nodded her head in agreement with her plan. Henry nodded his head as well.

“Perfect, now to destroy the house beyond livable conditions.” Zelena stood and began clearing dishes. 

“We need to make it excusable so insurance covers it, though.” Henry said. When both women starred at him, he realized they probably didn’t know what insurance was yet. “Don’t worry, I know what insurance policies cover. We’ll make it look good.” Henry assured them.


	12. Mischief and Mayhem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short Chapter. Mayhem from Zelena, Henry, and Cassi's plans come to light.

Emma and Regina were in the meeting at town hall when Emma’s phone went off. It vibrated the table in front of her, and Regina shot her a dirty look.

“It might be an emergency.” Emma muttered defensively. One look at her phone, and Emma was glad she kept her phone on vibrate. “We have to go, now.” Emma said to Regina. She grabbed her stuff and ran up to Snow to excuse them.

“What? Why?” Regina demanded. She pulled her phone from her purse and saw a missed text from Henry. 

H: Took Cassi to Emma’s to make brownies. Accidentally set her kitchen on fire. Cassi put it out but….

The following picture showed Emma’s charred and icy kitchen. Regina had no clue how Henry expected her to cover for Cassi this time, but she certainly was not about to let them deal with this mess alone.

“You’re right. We have to go, now.” Regina said when Emma approached her again. They held their composure until they left the meeting room. 

“How the hell did Henry catch my kitchen on fire?” Emma demanded. Henry’s text said he managed to put the fire out, but that they should still come home right away. 

“I asked myself the same thing when you set my kitchen on fire making tacos.” Regina retorted. Emma glared and was about to respond, but Regina poofed them away before she could.

“Holy shit.” Emma swore. Her mouth dropped open in shock when her and Regina walked into the kitchen. Henry was standing on the far side of the charred kitchen table. A large block of ice was sitting on the edge of the kitchen table, and it appeared someone had tried to extinguish the flames with ice.

“How?” Emma demanded looking around her kitchen. It had clearly been on fire. Possibly more than once if the different charred markings in her kitchen were any indication. A hole had been burned into her ceiling above the kitchen table, and her stove looked like it had been nearly reduced to ash by flames. Emma couldn’t imagine how Henry had not only started a fire this big, but how he’d managed to put it out. Especially since it appeared he had used an ice blower to do it. 

“I um… was trying to make brownies.” Henry began. He looked towards Regina who shook her head in bewilderment. She had no way to cover this up. 

“They caught fire, and things may have gotten out of hand.” Henry finished lamely.  
“And the ice?!” Emma demanded in shock. She knocked on the solid block of ice sitting on her table. 

“Well, those would be the brownies. We put the fire out on the table when it got out of hand.” Henry explained.

“We?” Emma demanded.

“Well, the brownies might have been for Cassi.” Henry admitted.

“Cassi? Tiny flying girl who saved your life? That Cassi?” Emma questioned no longer concerned with her kitchen.

“Yeah, she asked me to make her brownies. I said I would as a thank you. Then, she said she wanted to help, but I told her we had to do it here where if we made a mess it wouldn’t be a big deal. She got impatient though, and tried to use her heat vision to speed up the oven, but then it caught on fire. So, of course Cassi tried to save the brownies by putting them on the table, but the pan caught on fire and she didn’t notice. Then your table caught fire while she was putting out the stove and, and we started panic. I’m not sure when it hit the ceiling, but she wanted to make sure the first got put out so now we have the giant ice cube.” Henry’s explanation was a rushed blur that stunned both of his mothers.

“Well, at least it wasn’t my kitchen this time.” Regina finally responded. That broke Emma out of her shock and she drug her hand through her hair in exasperation. 

“Is she still here?” Emma asked.

“No, I sent her to mom’s house to wait. She wants to apologize, but she wanted to do it not standing… in the remains of your kitchen.” Henry gestured to the destroyed kitchen around them. The entire house reeked of smoke, and Emma knew she wouldn’t be staying there tonight. She wasn’t particularly looking forward to staying on the Jolly Roger, but she supposed she’d have to. 

“Okay, let me call Hook and tell him we’ll stay there. I need to take some pictures to send to the fire department for insurance too.” Emma said with a defeated tone. Regina and Henry both knew Emma didn’t like staying on the Jolly Roger. She only did it because Henry enjoyed it. When Emma turned to pull out her phone. Henry mouthed to Regina, ‘Ask her to stay.’ 

‘No.’ Regina mouthed back.

‘She hates it there.’ Henry silently pleaded towards his mother’s soft spot for Emma.

‘You burned her kitchen.’ Regina mouthed back angrily.

‘She’ll tell me no. You have to.’ Henry said with some dramatic gestures to make his point. Regina and Henry both knew this was true. Emma would crash on the couch if Regina offered, but never if Henry did.

‘Cassi?” Regina mouthed questioningly. Henry shot her a look that said ‘it’s a little late to worry about her.’

“Why don’t you stay with us while this gets fixed, Emma.” Regina offered. Emma spun around surprised to hear her voice. She’d almost forgotten she was there. A first with Regina in the room. 

“Really?” Emma asked shocked. Sometimes she got invited to stay after a late night at the mansion, but Regina had never asked her to stay casually.

“Yes, I imagine you will not be able to stay here for a few days.” Regina said glancing around the remains of the kitchen. It really had been a nice, open kitchen. It was a shame to see it go. “Unless you don’t want to.” Regina offered Emma an out, suddenly second guessing the blonde’s dislike for the pirate’s ship in comparison for having to stay with the Evil Queen for a while.

“I’ll go pack.” Emma declared running out of the kitchen to go pack. 

“That was an unexpected response.” Regina mused starring at where Emma had disappeared through the doorway.

She’s been dying to get back into the mansion, Mom.” Henry said as if it was obvious, “Between raving about your cooking and your shower it was only a matter of time before Ma ‘fell asleep on the couch’ again.” Henry said. Regina rolled her eyes but smiled. Henry came over and put his arm around his mother’s shoulder, “This should be fun, huh?” 

“You’re still grounded for this. You both are.” Regina responded seriously. Henry just groaned.


	13. The Fluff takes a Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma finds out about Cassi. This begins a major turning point in the story. Things should start moving along a lot faster now. I just get wrapped up in writing all the fluff. So, sorry!

When they arrived at the mansion. It was dark in most of the house, and Regina realized Cassi might really be worried about Emma being angry with her. The girl had kept a clear distance from most people, and Regina was beginning to wonder if she feared everyone despite her powers. 

“Cassi!” Henry called walking into the house. He began searching the house for her.

“You don’t think she left did she?” Emma asked setting her bag down in the foyer. She’d packed a few necessities, but knew she could always easily grab more clothes later. 

“Maybe if we promise her food she’ll show up.” Regina murmured not sure how this situation was about to unfold. She had not confessed to Emma that she knew about Cassi, and she wanted to before the evening was up. However, Cassi’s secrets weren’t hers to tell. 

“Does that mean you’re going to cook then?” Emma smiled following Regina into the kitchen. 

“I did ask Zelena to put a roast in for me earlier today.” Regina said moving to lift the lid to the crockpot. The delicious smell of savory meat and potatoes filled the air.

“Oh my, God.” Emma moaned inhaling the delicious aroma. 

“Are you sure we should go in?” came Cassi’s voice floating in from the hallway, “It sounds like they might be… busy.” Emma and Regina turned matching shades of red as Henry’s laughter filled the hallyway.

“Don’t worry. It’s just my Ma’s hunger moans.” Henry explained leading Cassi into the kitchen with her hand. Emma blinked in shock at how small the girl was in person. Standing on the ground, she could see how the girl was short and too thin for her age. It definitely supported Emma’s theory that she was another lost girl looking for a home.

“Hi.” Emma said not stepping forward, but smiling and opening her body posture to the young girl. “I’m Emma Swan, Henry’s other mother.” 

“I know,” Cassi murmured looking embarrassed, “I’m sorry about your kitchen.” 

“I’ll forgive you if you tell me your name.” Emma bartered. 

“Cassiopeia, I’m named after one of your goddesses.” Cassi explained flushing when Henry and Regina both turned to stare at her. This was news to them as well. 

“So, you’re from a realm that is similar to ours?” Emma asked still not moving closer.

“I think. I have never been to the Earth in my realm, though.” Cassi explained.

“You’re from another planet then?” Emma concluded.

“Just like the girl in Henry’s comics.” Cassi confirmed.

“All stories come from somewhere.” Henry smiled at Cassi. She seemed to relax a little bit.

“How did you end up here?” Emma inquired of the girl. 

“A man helped me escape from my planet. He was a piolet who had been to Earth before. He said my fate resembled my namesake, but I’d be her daughter not her.” Cassi said shrugging. She had looked up the story of her namesake once she arrived, and agreed that she would be Andromeda, not her mother. 

“I’ll have to look up her tale then. I’m not familiar with it.” Emma responded kindly. 

“I was in a pod ship, when I left. I’m not sure what happened. Space is full of mysterious things. When I landed, I landed in the land of untold stories. A man there saved me. I worked for him, and he let me live with him in his community. He died before we followed Hyde here though.” Cassi explained. Emma knew some of her story from the nomads. 

“Do you like it here so far?” Emma knew her question would throw the girl off her game. She appeared to expect the same thing Emma expected from her social workers. 

“I suppose.” Cassi responded. It was the answer Emma always gave as well.

“I bet you like staying in Regina’s house better than in the woods.” Emma’s comment left everyone in the room shocked.

“I do.” Cassi admitted grudgingly. Emma laughed. 

“Did you know she was here?” Emma turned to ask Regina who had to clear her throat before she could speak.

“I did. The last few days. I asked her to stay after we saw the camp. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Regina admitted.

“It’s okay,” Emma smiled at her, “I jumped to the same conclusion you did when we found your apples at the camp site.” 

“It was just a few apples.” Regina shrugged. That made Emma pause. Regina was serious about her apples.

“You don’t know that Henry’s been buying her things, then?” Emma asked eyeing Regina.

“What?!” Regina demanded then coughed to take a moment to calm down, “is that why my credit card bill is so high?” 

“Yeah,” Henry admitted moving closer to the island where his mothers were standing. Cassi moved too and floated casually beside the counter to lean on it the way Henry did. Regina and Emma had to share a smile at that.

“Do you even bother to check what Henry buys with your cards?” Emma asks teasing Regina now.

“Oh, how am I supposed to know. He buys so many little things for his games.” Regina dismisses with a wave of her hand. She moves to get plates down and hands them to Henry to set the table.

“You’re lucky I’m such a good kid. What if I did something crazy with your money?” Henry teased glad to see this was going so well. Cassi was handed silverware and followed Henry to the table to set it.

“Like steal it and run off to New York with your girl friend?” Emma asked sarcastically getting cups down for drinks.

“Or stole mine to get to Boston?” Regina followed up from where she was dishing out the food.

“Okay, okay. All of those trips turned out good in the end. Just saying.” Henry said smiling. He liked the good natured teasing between his moms. Henry gestured for Cassi to take a seat with him, and Regina and Emma began using magic to move the food and drink items to the table. In no time, they were all sitting at the table dishing out food.

“So, Cassi,” Emma asked ready to continue her questioning, “what other powers do you have?”


	14. Movies and a Camp Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina, Emma, Henry and Cassi have a family movie night. Cassi and Henry have something up their sleeve for the camp out. Just more fluff. Swan Queen is taking some baby steps here.

After dinner, Henry and Cassi declared they needed another movie night. Table talk had turned into Cassi explaining her new experiences in this world. Movies were a big hit with the girl as well. Regina and Cassi had gone back and forth discussing mishaps they’d experience in their new world. Emma had thrown in a few of her own from her time in the Enchanted Forrest, and everyone bonded over the food they’d had in different realms. Despite her kitchen being nearly burned downed, this was turning into one of the most enjoyable evenings Emma had had in a long time. 

Now, Emma was in charge of snacks, Regina was cleaning up dinner, and Henry and Cassi were picking out the next movie to continue Cassi’s fairytale education. It was all so wonderfully domestic, Emma couldn’t believe she was even having a night like this.

“Trying to open the bottle with magic?” Regina teased as she broke Emma’s musings.

“I was just thinking.” Emma said ready to shrug the moment off. She should have known Regina wouldn’t let it go.

“Didn’t know you liked to practice thinking that seriously. Thought your head might catch fire like your kitchen,” Regina’s comment made Emma laugh. She was already over the disaster of her kitchen.

“I was just thinking about nights like this.” Emma responded more somberly.

“Like what?” Regina asked worried Emma was dwelling over being deceived. Regina knew from experience is was never fun to be on the receiving end of someone’s deception.

“Nice,” Emma sighed looking at Regina then towards the living room, “I never thought I’d have anything so domestic in my life.” When Regina didn’t answer right away, Emma looked back to her. 

Regina cleared her throat, “You and Hook don’t have evenings like this?” 

“Sure,” Emma relented. She hadn’t thought about Hook in what felt like ages, “it’s just not the same. Neither of us can cook, there’s no playful banter.” Emma shrugged. She felt like she was giving too much away.

“Well, you are welcome to come here anytime you wish.” Regina offered. Even if Emma stayed with the pirate, Regina would make her try to make her happy in any way she can.

“Might as well just dump him for you then. I’ll get everything I ever wanted then.” Emma joked. Regina didn’t laugh and Emma’s laughter died on her lips when she looked at her. They held each other’s gaze for a moment, each trying to gage the others mood.

“I believe that’s one of the few times anyone has ever referenced me so kindly.” Regina’s voice came out husky. 

“I’ll try to make it a habit then.” Emma murmured not quite ready for this conversation to go where it’s headed. Not with Henry and Cassi in the other room. Not with Hook expecting her to be his girl friend.

“Movie time?” Regina asked sensing Emma’s unease with the topic. 

“Yeah.” Emma gave Regina a smile as they walked into the living room. When Regina returned it, Emma knew they were still okay. 

 

Movie night turned out to be just as enjoyable as the dinner. They watched the Wizard of Oz, and Cassi howled with laughter when the witch playing Zelena came on screen. Emma had gathered from their talks that Zelena was babysitting the girl while Regina tried to keep her hidden. Emma wasn’t sure that was really working, but no one seemed to be suffering any real damage from Zelena being in charge. The woman had apparently taken Robin home when Henry came to take over the babysitting duties. 

“One more?” Cassi pleaded with Regina after the movie was over. Cassi had insisted on Henry and her stretching out on one couch, while Emma and Regina took the other couch. Cassi had apparently been enjoying the quality time so much that she didn’t want it to end.

“No way. Bed time.” Regina insisted. 

“Come on, Mom. It’s Friday!” Henry reminded her. Emma saw Regina’s resolve slipping.

“One more movie.” relented Regina.

“YAY!” Henry and Cassi chorused. They moved to pick in the movie that had fallen in second place behind the Wizard of Oz. Emma was more focused on Regina however. She starred at her with a dopey grin on her face.

“What?” demanded Regina with mock irritation.

“You caved waayyy too easily.” Emma teased. Regina just rolled her eyes, “Let’s see you do better.” Emma scoffed but she knew she would cave faster. She probably would have begged for another movie too if Regina hadn’t caved so quickly. 

“NANTS INGONYAMA BAGITI BABA” the opening lyrics to the Lion King blares from the television. Emma started chuckling, “At least they picked your favorite.”

 

When movie night ended, Cassi wasn’t ready for the fun to end. “Can we have a camp out?!” Cassi asked excitedly. 

“A camp out?” Emma grunted out while she stretched. She’d been stuck under Cassi and Regina for the majority of the movie. When Mufasa died, Cassi had become distraught. Emma had been surprised when Regina cried the first time they watched the movie. Henry had informed her it happened every time they watched the movie, and this time was no different. What was more surprising than Regina’s crying was Cassi’s distress. She’d begun shaking like a leaf the second the scene began, and hadn’t been able to stop until Regina finally had to move onto the couch with them. Emma feared they’d have to stop the movie, but some cuddling and a thick blanket had calmed the girl down enough to finish the movie.

“Yeah! We can all sleep together in living room! Pleeeaaassseeee!” Cassi begged her hands clasped together.

“I am not the one you need to ask.” Emma chuckled. Regina’s house was always spotless; she couldn’t imagine Regina was going to let Cassi destroy her living room. Turns out, Regina really was a sucker for children. A few minutes of puppy eyes and Regina relented to the girl’s pleas. Cassi squealed and flew over to Henry. 

“Come ON!” Cassi demanded of Henry. She pulled up a laughing Henry to go collect a bunch of pillows and blankets. He followed behind her like a dutiful older brother.

“I can’t believe you said yes.” Emma said stretching again. 

“Why not?” Regina chuckled grabbing the snack bowls to clean up.

“Camping? Really?” Emma was not a fan of camping. She never would have survived growing up in the Enchanted Forrest. The time her and Snow had spent there was enough. 

“Indoor camping, Emma. You still have a heated house and indoor plumbing.” Regina was teasing the blonde as she moved to deposit the dishes in the kitchen. 

“Sleeping on the floor though?” Emma called to Regina in the kitchen, “It’s going to kill my back.”

Regina entered the living room again, “Oh, we are not sleeping on the floor.” 

“We aren’t?” Emma asked rising from the couch. 

“Nope.” Regina responded popping the ‘p’ on the end dramatically. With a flick of her wrist the living room was momentarily engulfed in purple smoke. When the smoke cleared, the floor was covered in comfy looking mattresses, pillows, and had a starry light display illuminating the ceiling. Regina and Emma had even been changed into comfy, color coordinated flannel pajamas. Regina’s black and Emma’s red. Emma knew her eyes were as wide as saucers. 

“Whoa!” behind the women Cassi and Henry were starring in awe at the living room. They had changed into their pajamas, also color coordinated somehow. Henry’s were blue with white and black, and Cassi’s were cream colored with blue and black. They were ready to camp. “I love it!” squealed Cassi who flew over and landed with a bounce on the mattresses.

“Way to go, Mom!” Henry’s enthusiastic reply made Regina smile as he raced pass them to join Cassi. Their blankets left discarded by the entryway.

“This is amazing, Regina.” Emma whispered awed by the changes to the living room. 

“Thank you,” Regina smiled softly at Emma then looked over at the squealing children. Henry had whacked Cassi with a pillow, and Cassi responded a little to strongly knocking Henry down easily.

“Whoa! Okay, take it easy, Cassi.” Henry chuckled. Cassi responded by throwing another pillow and then following the pillow with her body. “Umff,” came Henry’s smothered reply.

“Okay, you two. This is for sleeping not romping around.” Regina had a soft, kind tone as she moved closer to the sleeping area. Emma went to move to the other side. 

“No!” Cassi yelled, “I’ve already planned how we’re sleeping.” Emma and Regina both had to laugh.

“Oh, have you?” Regina asked with an arched brow.

“Yes!” Cassi rose to her feet, “Emma is on the far right, then me, Regina, and then Henry.” Cassi pointed to everyone’s designated spot. Emma smiled and complied. She was surprised Cassi wanted to sleep beside her. 

“Okay, then.” Emma chuckled moving back to the other side. Once they all laid down, Cassi demanded Henry tell them a story. Henry began telling them a story he’d written recently as the author. It was about someone he didn’t know, but whose story must overlap with theirs. It was a love story about two men, and Emma was surprised Henry had dreamed the tale. It seemed to take place in the Enchanted Forrest by his description. She knew Regina was surprised by the story too because she listened with rapt attention. Soon, Emma was lulled by her son’s voice and the heat radiating off of Cassi. Within no time, she was fast asleep. Regina was quick to follow. Both of them were asleep before they heard the end of the story that finished with true love’s kiss.

 

When Henry finished the story, he sat up to look over at the three girls in his life. Regina and Emma were fast asleep snuggled up to Cassi. Cassi, however, was wide awake smiling up at Henry.

“Moms?” Henry said in a normal voice to see if they really were asleep. When neither woman answered, Cassi carefully slid out from between the two women. 

“It worked!” the young girl whispered excitedly.

“I know!” Henry whispered back pulling out his phone. He quickly snapped a picture of his sleeping mothers. They were both sleeping facing each other. Soon, Regina rustled under the covers in her sleep. She moved closer seeking the warmth she’d lost when Cassi moved. Unaware of their actions, Regina snuggled closer into Emma. Emma, in return, slung her arm around the new heat source. Henry quickly snapped another picture of both of his mothers snuggled in each others arms. 

“Send that to Zelena.” Cassi yawned out sleepily. She moved to burrow herself under the covers behind Regina. Henry chuckled and went to lay down beside her. He quickly shot a text to Zelena with the pictures. Then, he locked his phone and got comfortable himself. Cassi snuggled closer into his side.

“Wad dat deir ‘tory?” Cassi sighed out sleepily. 

“Hmm?” Henry asked.

“Your story? Was that their story?” Cassi mumbled more intelligibly.

“The ending was,” Henry grinned.

“I _knew _they’d get together in the end.” Cassi sighed.__


	15. The Morning After Drama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending a family night together, their happy family bubble bursts as drama begins to unfold. We all knew it wouldn't last long.

Regina is the first to wake up the morning after their campout in the living room. Without opening her eyes, Regina begins to toss about not quite ready to get up yet. She was overly warm and flung her arm out from under the blankets. When she tried to move about, she found she couldn’t. She cracked one eye open and found herself face to neck with Emma Swan. Regina stiffened in shock at being snuggled into Emma. 

When she had fallen asleep, Cassi had been between them. Judging by the heat she felt radiating on her back, Cassi must have moved to sleep beside Henry at some point. Not sure what to do, Regina tried to carefully extract herself from the blonde woman’s space. When she turned to her back, she felt the weight of Emma’s arm on her stomach. Emma had cuddled up to her in the middle of the night. Regina tried to sit up, then Cassi rolled over from snuggling Henry to snuggling into her. The young girl throwing her thin leg over both over Regina’s. The brunette let out a huff. 

Emma stirrs at this point. Regina freezes and stares at the other woman who finally lifts her arm and stretches. After some dramatic stretching and a yawn, Emma finally blinks her eyes open. When her green eyes met Regina’s brown, Emma’s lips turned up into a sleepy grin.

“Morning.” Emma husks out in a sleep filled voice. 

“Good morning.” Regina responds somewhat nervously. She wasn’t sure if Emma had realized they’d been cuddling before they woke up.

“Cassi has you trapped again?” Emma whispers.

_“Again?” _Regina whispers back confused.__

__“She had you pinned in the middle of the night,” Emma explains then grins, “I pulled you closer when you got to hot and started kicking me.”_ _

__“I do _not _kick people.” Regina snorts indignantly.___ _

____“Yes, you do.” Henry speaks up from the other side of Cassi. He begins his over dramatic morning stretching routine as well. Regina never ceases to be amazed by the similarities Henry has inherited from his birth mother. Henry then begins poking Cassi’s side. The young girl stirs in her sleep and removes her limbs from atop of Regina’s._ _ _ _

____“What’s going on?” murmurs Cassi who tries to burrow down into the covers. Only her mass of blonde curls remains visible from the covers._ _ _ _

____“Moms were just about to get up and make up pancakes.” comes Henry’s cheery reply. Cassi’s head popps up from beneath the covers._ _ _ _

____“Oh, we were?” Regina retorts._ _ _ _

____“You are if you really want to fatten up Cassi a bit.” Henry grabs the girl’s sides and begins tickling her. The girl squeals and begins kicking._ _ _ _

____“Let’s get out of here before we get hit by a flying limb.” Emma rises from the bed then reaches down to help Regina. They are off to make pancakes while listening to Cassi and Henry squealing in the living room._ _ _ _

____The four of them are sitting down eating pancakes when Zelena appears in the kitchen in a cloud of smoke._ _ _ _

____“Oh, wonderful! Pancakes.” Zelena grins and helps herself to a plate. She has a cheerful baby Robin in her arms._ _ _ _

____“What are you doing here so early?” Regina asks her sister._ _ _ _

____“Just stopped in to visit. Heard about some ruckus over by the nomads, wondered if you’d heard as well.” She shifts Robin in her arms while she sits down._ _ _ _

____“By the nomads?” Reginai questions. Cassi looks up in interest in the conversation as well now._ _ _ _

____“And you have nothing to do with the trouble I assume?” Emma eyes Zelena._ _ _ _

____“I am offended. I have a child to care for. I don’t have time to cause all of the problems in Storybrooke.” Zelena rolles her eyes in Regina fashion._ _ _ _

____“That honestly surprises me.” Emma says taking a sip of her coffee. Zelena just glares at her._ _ _ _

____“What kind of trouble?” Cassi asks unable to remain quiet._ _ _ _

____“I wouldn’t know. Heard the Charming squad was on the case though.” Zelena replies._ _ _ _

____“What?” asks Emma shocked. She rises to check her phone for the first time that morning, “They texted me. There was a complaint made about some of the nomads. They said they’d text if they needed me.”_ _ _ _

____“What was the complaint about?” Regina asks._ _ _ _

____“Doesn’t say. I’m going to give them a call.” Emma takes off into the hallway to call her parents._ _ _ _

____“It’s probably a noise complaint. The nomads specialized in making weapons in the Land of Untold Stories. They always had neighbors complaining about gunfire and explosions in the morning.” Cassi explained before taking the last bite of her pancake stacks._ _ _ _

____“Sounds like my kind of fun.” Zelena’s eyes lit up with excitement._ _ _ _

____“You’ll stay away from the nomads.” Regina commands._ _ _ _

____“Why would I listen to you? The nomads can decide who come and go.” Zelena scoffs at her sister._ _ _ _

____“So, you’re going to take Cassi back out there with you?” Regina demands an answer from her sister._ _ _ _

____“Of course not,” retorts Zelena, “why would that even be an issue?”_ _ _ _

____“Because you’re the babysitter for her and Robin while we continue cleaning up Hyde’s mess. The population increase has everyone too busy to worry about you two running a muck.” Regina responds eyeing her sister and Cassi. Both girls feign offense._ _ _ _

____“I will _never _go back out there to socialize. They don’t have a kind thing to say.” Cassi is insulted by the insinuation she’d even go back to the campsite.___ _ _ _

______“Keep that mind set. It’s better for you two to stay around here for now.” Regina rises to begin clearing the table. Emma walks back into the kitchen._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Snow said her and David are investigating the scene. They’re talking with some of the nomads now. So far, they said the commotion people reported was them testing out some new weapons to sell for income.” Emma pockets her phone as she walks back into the kitchen._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s what Cassi suggested as well.” Regina comments. Suddenly, a loud explosion sounds and the house shook on it’s foundation. Pictures dropped from the walls, and Robin begins shrieking in fear. When the house calms again, everyone glances around in shock._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What was that?” Henry asks alarmed. He has risen from his seat at the table._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Probably the nomads. This happens sometimes.” Cassi says rising ready to run to their aid despite her mixed feelings._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Stay here.” Emma commands taking control, “Regina?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The brunettes answer is a simple nod of her head, “Stay here with Henry and Cassi.” Regina tells her sister as she moves over to Emma. In a cloud of smoke, they disappear._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You really didn’t have anything to do with this?” Henry turns to look towards Zelena._ _ _ _ _ _

______“No,” is Zelena’s simple reply. She bounces Robin to calm her with a worried look on her face. The witch makes up her mind then and there to get to the bottom of it herself later._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Regina and Emma appear at the Nomad’s campsite to absolute chaos. Everyone is running around. Shelters are on fire, people run back and forth from the river with water buckets to douse the flames before they spread. Emma searches frantically for her parents, unsure of where they were when they called her._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You go find your parents, I’ll handle the flames.” Regina says touching her shoulder. The panic in Emma’s eyes is clear. Regina knows she cannot handle the flames while she’s worried for her parents. Emma takes off running while Regina handles the flames._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mom! Dad?!” Emma calls out. People are running everywhere. She puts out a fire here and there as she goes. Smoke is thick in the air, and the farther in to the came she goes the worse it is. Glowing green shards and liquid begin to appear around the camp site. Emma sees people covering the glowing mess with dirt along with the flames._ _ _ _ _ _

______“MOM?!” Emma calls out again as she continues her search for her parents._ _ _ _ _ _

______“EMMA!” Snow calls loudly to her daughter. Emma finally spots Snow helping a family whose house has caught fire. She sees the kids who had lived beside Cassi helping as well._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What’s going on? Are you guys okay?” Emma barks out the questions to her mother. Her heart is pounding still, but she’s less worried since Snow is not panicking. Her mother takes a moment to pull her into a warm hug._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Don’t worry, sweetie.” Snow gives her daughter a reassuring hug, “Your father is helping those who were closer to the blast sight. No one has been killed, but there’s a few who are injured closer to the blast site. They had a lot of precautions in place for this. We were just discussing their safety measures when the explosion happened.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Explosion?” Emma questions her mother much more calmly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“No one saw it coming. They said it was a ‘small blast’, but it has certainly done its damage. Help us clean it up?” Snow smiles reassuringly at her daughter._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Of course,” Emma nods her head in affirmation. In no time, Regina has worked her way back to Snow and Emma. Magic aiding the clean up of the mess._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Should we continue heading further in?” Regina questions the mother daughter duo. They both agree and continue working their way in. When they get closer to the blast sight, there is the glowing green substance everywhere. The substance doesn’t appear harmful by itself, but it does catch on fire. By the time they find David again, everyone is exhausted from helping clean up the mess._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Have you guys handled the rest of the camp?” David asks walking up to the women._ _ _ _ _ _

______“The front has minimal damage.” Regina reports._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Emma and I handled the middle, then we all have been working on the rest. Everything is at least under control.” Snow explains._ _ _ _ _ _

______“This stuff isn’t toxic, right?” Emma asks holding her shirt out from her body. Her shirt had a splatter of the green substance on it. The nomads had begun being careless in the cleanup. They all said that the substance wasn’t toxic, but Emma didn’t believe anything that could be used as a weapon was harmless._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s what Michael said.” David gestured to the man off in the distance who had nearly wrecked into Henry._ _ _ _ _ _

______“He was the one working with it, then?” Regina asks concerned._ _ _ _ _ _

______“No, but he knew they were working with the substance. Doesn’t know much about it, honestly. It’s Hattie’s husband who is the weapons man. He took over Wenberg’s job. Said he used to apprentice under the man.” David explains to the women._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I didn’t know that.” Emma’s in her sheriff’s stance now._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Me either,” David’s tone suggests he didn’t love being omitted from that knowledge either. The nomads had submitted paperwork to continue their work at the campsite, but they seemed to omit the fact strange explosive substances are being used here._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Why don’t we investigate this further then, shall we?” Regina says striding over towards Michael. Snow shrugs and follows, Emma and David fall in line behind them._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Regina, thank you so much for you help. You as well, Sheriff.” Michael has a thankful demeanor to him as the group approaches._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Would you care to explain what exactly we’ve had to help clean up?” Regina demands interrogatively._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Umm,” Michael pauses and glances. David holds up his hands signaling he’s not helping here, “Well, I’m not sure.” Michael admits._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’re not sure?” Regina and Emma both demand this time._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m covered in it!” Emma gestures to her ruined clothes as proof._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Don’t worry, ladies,” a gruff talking, short man says coming up behind the group, “it’s non-toxic to humans. That’s why we’re working with it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Not toxic to humans?” Snow asks ever the animal activist._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Nor to animals,” the man smiles reassuringly, “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gerald, and I am heading this experiment. The substance is non-toxic and completely safe by itself. With the right amount of tampering, however, it becomes a wonderful explosive.” The mans eyes light up with devious delight as he speaks._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What kind of tampering?” Emma is still wide-eyed at the nervous prospect she could become explosive from the substance resting on her skin.  
“Don’t worry about that!” Gerald shoos her worries away, “It takes a good deal of complex scientific tampering to create anything explosive. Just go home and wash it off, you’ll be good as new.” _ _ _ _ _ _

______“I want a full report of this substance on the mayor’s desk tomorrow morning.” Regina demands._ _ _ _ _ _

______“With all due respect, you do not have the authority to command job of me.” Gerald responds bristling at Regina’s tone._ _ _ _ _ _

______“No, but I do.” Snow says stepping forward. She places a hand on the older brunette woman’s arm as if to hold her back, “And I would recommend you do as she says.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Of course.” Gerald responds through tight lips._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Let’s go get cleaned up.” Charming says nodding at Gerald. The man nods back but doesn’t turn away to return to his work as the group leaves._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I don’t trust him.” Emma says as they walk away. She wipes her hands on her pants as they leave._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Neither do I.” Regina agrees crossly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Get cleaned up and meet us at our apartment in two hours?” Snow asks Emma and Regina. The two women nod in agreement and disappear in a cloud of magic._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______When Regina and Emma return home, they can hear Cassi and Henry upstairs chatting in Henry’s room. The smell of food cooking leads the women to Zelena in the kitchen. When they enter the kitchen, the red head turns to greet them putting down the squash she was preparing for dinner._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What on Earth are you covered in?” Zelena eyes Emma’s messy, glowing green appearance._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m still not sure.” Emma rolls her eyes in a manner that gives the Mills sisters a run for their money. Zelena just smirks._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Whatever it is, it caused the explosion.” Regina moves to the refrigerator to grab drinks for herself and Emma._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Perhaps you should go wash it off then?” Zelena takes a hesitant step back from the blonde now._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s apparently not harmful unless tampered with complex, scientific something or rather.” Emma says taking a swig of the drink Regina places in front of her._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What she means is, the man who omitted the fact that he even had the substance swears that it’s safe enough for humans and animals to be around.” Regina’s voice is dripping with heavy sarcasm._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh yes, we all know we can trust the deviants who come to town with their own personal motives.” Zelena responds matching her sister’s sarcasm._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black?” Emma is not over all the extra work Zelena has been making for her since she arrived in town._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Which is exactly why you should trust my opinion. I haven’t even met the man, and I know he’s up to no good.” Zelena puts the finishing spices in the squash. She moves to the oven to remove the cookies she baked, and places the baked squash dish in the oven to finish cooking._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Cookies!” Emma’s eyes widen with excitement as she reaches for a cookie. Regina swats her hand away._ _ _ _ _ _

______“At least wash your hands first. If we don’t know what that substance is, you shouldn’t eat with it on your hands.” Emma rises to do as she’s told. Regina had managed not to get any of the mysterious substance on her, and Emma is sure she will be swiping up the cookies before everyone can devour them. She can hear Henry and Cassi racing down the stairs now. They no doubt smelled the cookies baking as well, and Cassi probably overheard them discussing eating the cookies from upstairs. The two kids barrel into the room full of excitement._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Are they done yet?!” Cassi climbs into Regina’s lap as Henry steals Emma’s vacated seat. Zelena places the cookies from the previous batch onto a plate in front of them. They all reach excitedly for the cookies, even Regina. No one can deny that the Mills sisters know how to cook._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey,” Emma protests teasingly as she rejoins the group, “wait for me!” Cassi begins to shake in Regina’s arm as Emma approaches._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What-,” Cassi begins backing into Regina’s lap further. Eyes wide in fear, her voice wavers as she asks, “what are you covered in?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m not sure,” Emma shrugs and reaches for a cookie. It puts her in close vicinity with the girl, and Cassi faints dead in Regina’s arms. The brunette woman struggles to catch her as she screams Cassi’s name in panic. Henry helps his mom catch the small girl in his lap. Emma realizes exactly what she’s covered in, and she dashes from the room to clean herself up._ _ _ _ _ _

______“EMMA!” Regina calls after her panicked._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s okay,” Henry says understanding what’s happening, “it’s Kryptonite. Emma’s just going to watch up. Cassi will be fine in a minute.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Are you sure?” Zelena asks from beside them. She voices the question that gets stuck in Regina’s throat.  
“Everything else seems to match my suspicions. Let’s move Cassi to the living room?” Henry suggests. The women nod and magically move the small girl to the living room to rest._ _ _ _ _ _


	16. Snow Knows What's Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the drama unfold's from the explosion, Emma steps up to handle the situation. After a conversation with her parents, Snow finally speaks up and hits at what all SwanQueen shippers have been seeing for ages. We all know Mama Snow's gaydar is fierce, let's not pretend she can't sniff out her own daughter's gayness.

“How is she?” Emma asks as she returns to the living room. She’s scrubbed herself raw to rid all traces of the Kryptonite from her body.

“I’m fine.” Cassi murmurs. She’s been coddled to the extremes in Emma’s absence. There is a plate of cookies in hand, a blanket tucked around her, and Regina is sitting with her on the couch rubbing her legs. Henry is sitting by Cassi’s head, and Zelena and Robin are on the floor near Cassi. Robin gurgling and clapping at Cassi who breaks up a small bite of cookie for the baby girl to gum on. 

“Are you still fine with me in the room? Did I get it all off?” Emma notices Regina has also changed her clothes and showered at some point. Her face is free of makeup, and her hair still damp. Apparently, Regina was taking no risks with Cassi’s health either. 

Cassi nods her head and smiles at Emma, “All better!” Cassi opens her arms up to Emma for a hug. Emma obliges with great relief. She sighs deeply when she feels how tightly Cassi hugs her. 

“It really was Kryptonite then?” Henry asks needing to confirm their assumptions. Cassi nods seriously.

“They must have found some in the wreckage of my ship. I knew there was some because I felt too sick to move when I landed. I thought they just cleaned it all up, but they must have saved it and stored it without telling me.” Cassi crinkles her brow seriously as she thinks about the nomads hiding Kryptonite from her. 

“Well, they won’t be keeping it around. That’s for damn sure.” Emma declares hotly. She’s moved to pace beside Regina now in her agitation. 

“I agree, the fact that it’s explosive is enough reason to put a temporary ban on it. Until we can elaborate the purpose for the ban further, that will hold for a while.” Regina is in mayor mode now. Ready to fight this legally. 

“I’m going to Snow and David’s to talk about this. I’ll be back after we’ve talked about it. You want to stay here?” Emma leave the question open, looking to Regina for confirmation. The brunette nods. She has no desire to leave Cassi while she’s sick. Emma give’s Cassi another hug and promises to try to be back for another movie night. There’s no doubt in her mind Cassi is going to love all the attention Regina gives her. Emma can’t wait to get back and enjoy the rewards too. She’d bet money that both the Mills sisters would be cooking up a storm for Cassi tonight.

Emma arrives at her parents in a huff, but she’s mindful not to slam doors in case baby Neal is sleeping. 

“Emma?” Snow calls coming into the kitchen to greet her daughter.

“Hey,” Emma says greeting her mother. 

“Everything okay, sweetie?” Snow immediately picks up on her daughter’s mood. Instantly, she heads into the kitchen to make everyone hot cocoa for the coming conversation. Emma shrugs aware that she can’t go too into detail without giving away Cassi. 

“I’ve been thinking about the nomads and the Kr- explosives.” Emma self-corrects.

“What about them?” David asks freshly clean from the shower himself. 

“I think we should put a temporary ban on them.” Emma says.

“Why?” David questions his daughter. Just then, there’s a knock at the door and Killian walks into the apartment.

“Greetings, love!” Hook says as he enters the apartment.

“Killian,” Emma says surprised to see her boyfriend. She’d been neglecting him as of late, and she was slightly surprised to see him show up at her parents. “What are you doing here?” 

“Your dad invited me over. He said you had some trouble with the nomads today.” Killian approaches putting his arm around Emma as he comes up beside her at the kitchen counter. 

“We were just discussing it actually.” David throws into the conversation. 

“You have it all cleaned up, right?” Killian asks.

“It’s cleaned up enough for now.” Snow says still not satisfied that the substance is seeping into the surrounding environment with unknown effects.

“I think it needs to be banned,” reiterates Emma. 

“What for? I thought they said it was harmless to humans?” asks Killian confused.

“We don’t know the effects of it. It already exploded once, are we going to wait for it to happen again?” Emma counters.

“Fair point, Emma. It’s not safe to be leaking into the environment and possibly exploding again.” Snow reinforced her daughter’s decision. 

“It’s their job. Can we ban them from working?” David countered who had heard an ear-full from the nomads all day.

Snow puts a hand on Emma’s arm and hands her her hot chocolate. “We can at least put a hold on it for now. A temporary ban on one product won’t kill their business.” Snow reasons.

“Will they take it offensively, though?” Killian questions. Emma shoots him a scathing look. “I have to be fair, love. Who knows how a man will feel about his job being regulated in a foreign land?” Emma rolls her eyes but doesn’t respond. 

“We explain the temporary ban is precautionary, and that as soon as adequate safety measures are in place and explained to the town council, they’ll be open for business again.” Snow reasons. Charming and Killian both nod reluctantly.

“I suppose we will be going to talk with the nomads then?” Charming asks his wife.

“I think it would be a good idea.” Snow smiles cheerfully. 

“Killian?” Charming asks of his friend.

“Looks like it’s time to go. I’ll see you later, love?” Killian smiles at Emma and gives her arm a squeeze. Emma nods back with a tight smile. After the men leave, Emma gives her mother an awkward strained smile.

“I thought you would be happier to know the ban is in place.” Snow comments studying her daughter.

“I’m happy with it.” Emma instantly reassures. She is happy she got what her family needed.

“Something seems… off.” Snow muses studying her daughter. Emma just shrugs.

“How are you and Hook?” Snow asks catching her daughter off guard.

“Wh-what?” Emma stutters in surprise. Snow just stares at her daughter patiently.

“I mean- I suppose we’re okay.” Emma mutters shrugging. She sips her hot chocolate.

“Are you happy with him?” Snow asks studying her daughter. Emma freezes and just stares at her mother. Finally, Emma shrugs.

“How’s Regina?” Snow asks turning the conversation.

“Fine.” Emma responds automatically.

“She’s seems happier lately.” Snow comments. Emma holds her tongue waiting. She knows Regina is happy to have Cassi around. 

“How are you and Regina doing?” Snow asks continuing the conversation despite her daughter’s silence. Emma nearly chokes on her hot chocolate.

“Fine,” Emma mutters around her scalding tongue. 

“I think Regina enjoys having you at her place.” Snow delves deeper into the conversation.

“She just likes having people to take care of.” Emma shrugs off her mothers comment. She knows Regina has been happier with Cassi around too.

“No,” Snow muses, “I know you’re thinking about the last few weeks with Zelena around.” Snow assumes incorrectly. Though, Emma supposes that it would seem Regina had taken an interest in her sister. Where as, the real situation was that Zelena was babysitting Regina’s new house guest in that same timeframe.

“Regina has been happier in the last few days. Even more so than when she got invested in Zelena again.” Snow is really eyeing Emma now. Though the blonde is too engrossed in her thoughts to notice now. Had Regina truly been happier with her around too?

“Emma,” Snow sighs patiently. Emma snaps her attention back to her mother. “I know we have a strange relationship,” Snow begins, “but do you have feelings for Regina?” Emma’s mouth drops open in shock. Her entire body freezes and her brain in unable to form even a simple sentence right now. Her mouth opens, then closes when nothing comes out.

“It’s okay, sweetie.” Snow grabs her daughter’s hands in both of hers. “I’ve never seen you or Regina happier than you’ve been these last few days. The only thing I ask is,” Snow pauses here to try to gauge how her daughter is handling this information. “The only thing I ask is that you break it off with Hook.” Snow finally lets out. 

“You want me to break up with Hook?” Emma asks in shock.

“I just want you to be happy,” Snow reassures smiling passionately at her daughter, “if that means being with Regina instead of Hook, so be it!” Snow exclaims. Emma jus stares at her mother.

“I-,” Emma begins but stops, “I’m not sure.” Emma whispers admitting her own personal struggle.

“Take your time,” Snow reassures kindly, “I just want you to be happy.” Emma smiles and lets her mother pull her into another embrace. They move into safer topics after that, but Emma can’t keep her mind off of what her mother said. Does she really want Regina that way? Is she ready to leave Hook for Regina?

After Emma leaves her parents, she drives around to clear her head. Her bug cruises the quite streets of Storybrooke late into the evening. Soon enough, she finds herself back at 108 Mifflin Street. When she parks in the drive, Emma’s head still feels clouded by indecision. Despite her personal feelings of internal conflict earlier with the woman inside, she knows her only clarity will come from that same woman. She walks inside to go seek out the brunette who always makes her feel calm. 

Emma finds Regina in Cassi’s room. The two of them are snuggled up on Cassi’s bed. Regina has obviously fallen asleep after reading a bedtime story to the girl. Emma recognizes one of Henry’s story books on her lap. She shakes the brunette awake.

“What?” Regina gasps coming too but remaining in her sleepy haze.

“Hey,” Emma whispers.

“Emma?” Regina whispers blinking at Emma with sleepy eyes.

“Ready to move into your own bed?” Emma asks realizing Regina is still half asleep and probably won’t wake up anytime soon. The brunette nods sleepily and accepts Emma’s help up from the bed. Emma tucks the blankets in around Cassi, and then assists Regina to her room.

“Did they agree to the ban?” Regina manages around a deep yawn. She’s even in her pajamas at this point. 

“Yeah, it’s all taken care of.” Emma reassures.

“Good,” Regina mutters climbing into bed once they enter her room. She’s clearly still half asleep as she climbs under the covers. Emma hovers in the doorway unsure of what to do now. Regina pats the bed for Emma to come closer. Once Emma seats herself on the bed, Regina sleepily peers at the blonde.

“Want to talk about it?” Regina asks reading Emma’s unsettling move. Emma shrugs in response. “Why don’t you turn the television on and lay down with me for a bit?” Regina offers handing Emma a remote. Emma has not clue where the television is in Regina’s room. She clicks the on button on the remote Regina hands her, and she hears the television click on from within the dresser across the room. 

Regina waves her hand and the dresser doors open. Emma smiles at Regina who seemes to read her mind. “Watch it as late as you want.” Regina yawns as she boroughs under the covers. Emma decides to get comfortable herself, and she moves to join Regina under the covers. She flicks through the channels until she finds a show to watch. Regina’s breathing has already evened out once more. Emma stares at the brunette beside her. She’s always been attracted to Regina, and time certainly hasn’t helped the matter.

The more time she spends with Regina and Henry, the more she continues to become intrigued by the woman. Regina is smart, fierce, loving, and an incredible mother. She’s even taken to caring for Cassi like she was destined to do so. Emma boroughs into the covers beside Regina and stares at her with the television playing in the background. 

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” Emma whispers to the sleeping Regina. There’s no movement or acknowledgement from the sleeping woman. Emma sighs and flips to lay on her back. Once she does, Regina throws her leg across Emma. She does it in the same fashion as when they had their camp out the night before, and Regina had snuggled into Emma then as well. Emma wraps her arm around the brunette, and Regina sighs and snuggles into her neck again. Emma takes a deep, calming breath. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do, but she knew what she wanted to do.


	17. The Turning Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit starts going down in Storybrook. Please leave comments or kudos if you like it! Let me know if there are any mistakes as well.

Regina wakes up earlier than Emma the next morning. They had both ended up cuddling each other in the middle of the night. Regina carefully extracts herself from Emma’s limbs to go get her day started. She quickly showers, dresses, then tiptoes out of the room not to wake her still sleeping companion. When she arrives downstairs, Cassi’s head pops up from the living.

“Good morning!” Cassi says in a chipper tone. Regina walks over to give the girl a kiss on her forehead. She’s happy Cassi is feeling better after the sudden illness had fallen over her yesterday.

“Good morning, dear,” Regina greets. Cassi gives her a megawatt smile from the extra affections. “Are you hungry for breakfast?” Regina asks. Cassi nods her head and jump up and over the couch.

“Can I help?” the young girl asks excitedly. 

“Of course. What would you like to make?” 

“A feast!” Cassi cheers.

“A feast?” Regina quirks an eyebrow at the young girl.

“Yes, eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, fruit, juices; the whole lot of breakfast foods!” Cassi smiles so happily Regina knows they will really be making all of that food. 

“We’d better get started then.” Regina says.

Together, the two of them cook up a feast of breakfast foods. By the time Regina hears stirrings upstairs, the food is ready to be served. 

“I hear Henry getting up. Emma is still struggling.” Cassi casually comments. 

Regina simply nods and begins dishing out the food. She knows the smell of food will lure the mother-son duo down the stairs. Henry enters the kitchen first. He’s still in a sleepy haze, but he manages to grumble out his appreciation. Regina settles Henry and Cassi at the table with their plates. Cassi’s is heaped high with still steaming food. When Emma staggers into the room, she’s still rubbing sleep from her eyes. 

“Good morning, Emma. Coffee with your breakfast?” Regina smiles and offers her the already fixed plate of food. Regina sees a slight flush creep up Emma’s cheeks. When she lowers her brows in concern, Emma finally shakes her head clear of its sleepy fog.

“Coffee would be great.” Emma murmurs softly.

Regina turns to fix her a cup. She chalks the flush up to sleepiness, but she makes a mental note to keep track if Emma seems to feel unwell later. She passes the cup to Emma when she turns back around. The two women join the kids at the table for breakfast. 

“How’s Grandma and Grandpa?” Henry asks his blonde mother. He’s finally awakening properly for the morning.

“Good,” Emma begins digging into her food, “they agreed to put the ban on the campsite’s work for now.” 

“Really?” Henry asks, this time there’s an echo to his question. Cassi interest is peaked by this information, and her question had come at the same time. 

“Killian and David weren’t as sure about it, but Snow firmly agreed with me.” Emma nods in thought, seeming to reflect back on the conversation. Regina quirks an eyebrow at the pirate’s name.

“Since when does the pirate have a say in the matter?” Regina’s irritation is heard in the question.

“He doesn’t,” Emma says firmly, “I don’t even know why he was over there.” 

“It’s because him and grandpa have a bromance.” Henry scoffs looking like Regina in that moment. Emma chokes on her bite of food as she struggles to hold back a laugh.

“What’s a bromance?” Cassi asks in confusion.

“It’s like when two people are best friends, but they’re so close it looks like they’re dating.” Henry explains with careful patience. Cassi silently processes this information for a moment silently. Then lifts her gaze to Regina and Emma.

“Do you guys have a bromance too?” Cassi stares directly at Regina and Emma when she says this. Emma chokes on the water she was using to clear her last fit. Regina startles and her hand rattles and drops her silverware in surprise.

“Excuse me,” Regina asks with a soft chuckle. 

“You guys are best friends, right?” Cassi asks seeking clarification.

“We are,” Regina answers calmly. Emma finally gets herself under control again.

“Well, sometimes, you seem like you’re so close you’re dating. So, you have a bromance, right?” Cassi’s face is set in adorable confusion. Her brows drawn with lips tightened slightly. 

“I don’t think it’s called the same thing for girls.” Regina smiles at the girl’s innocence. She feels the mask she uses as a mayor to hide her true feelings coming into place. The conversation is entering into uncomfortable territory for her.

“Is that when you use the word… uh… oh what was it…. lesbeans?” Cassi stutters over the word. This time, Regina knows her mask falters. Emma picks up the conversation this time, surprisingly.

“Where’d you learn that word?”

“It was on the television the other day.” Cassi shrugs. She dips her gaze and cuts into her pancakes. “What’s the difference?” 

“Lesbians are a couple, like a married couple can be.” Emma explains with the same patience Henry showed earlier, “Bromance is just a friendship that seems like more, if it was more, they’d be gay.” Cassi stares at her in silent confusion.

“Gay is a term for two men who date. Lesbian is used for two women. Bromance is used for two close male friends, there isn’t an equivalent for females.” Emma pauses to check for Cassi’s understanding.

“And you and Regina are not lesbians?” Cassi asks seeking obvious clarification.

“No,” Emma smiles, but Regina notices the slight flush rising to her cheeks again.

“Why would you think we were lesbians, dear?” Regina knows her voice is a little more strained than usual. Hopefully, no one else notices.

“You guys are always together, like, no personal space. I’m starting to wonder if you guys have telepathy sometimes. You read each other so well, it’s like you’re Martians. You also live together.” Cassi shrugs like it means nothing, but Regina and Emma are both jarred by this information.

“Emma’s dating Hook, though,” Henry finally jumps in seeing his mothers’ floundering, “she’d have to dump him first.” Cassi nods in understanding, and finally seems to be ready to move past the conversation. Her confusion cleared up. Emma, now, is no longer ready to move forward.

“What?” The blonde mother asks of her sun.

“Well, if you wanted to date mom, you’d have to break up with Hook first.” Henry is starring at her like it’s obvious.

“I thought you liked Hook?” Emma asks. Her concern is back. The two men in her life always seemed to get along fairly well. They had their difficulties, but that was expected at some point.

“I do,” Henry shrugs leaving the statement obviously open ended.

“But?” Emma prompts. 

“But I think you and mom are a better fit.” Henry shrugs like Cassi. He clearly isn’t as bothered by the conversation as Emma and Regina.

“You think what?” Regina finally interrupts in shock.

“Well,” Henry flushes this time. He’s under both of his mother’s scrutiny now. “I think you guys really do get along better than Emma and Hook, or you and Robin did. I see why Cassi would think you guys were together if she didn’t know better. It’s not like it’s the first time someone has mentioned it.” 

“WHAT?!” Both of his mothers’ gasp in shock. Regina’s cellphone ringing interrupts the conversation. “This conversation is not over, young man.” Regina points a finger but rises to grab her phone.

“It doesn’t bother you that people ask that, does it?” Emma asks concern in her voice. Regina desperately wishes she could stay in the conversation. When she checks her caller ID, she sees Snow White is calling. Regina has never been more annoyed by this woman. In the background, she waits to hear Henry’s response before answering her phone.

“No, mom raised me to know that same sex couples are just like everyone else. Actually, I think your personalities compliment each other.” Regina breathes a sigh of relief for some reason, and she quickly slides her phone open to answer.

“What?” she snaps into the phone.

“Glad to see you’re in a good mood as well today.” Snow greets from her end.

“What’s going on?” Regina asks sensing this call may be of importance from the other woman’s tone.

“The Nomads are not a fan of the ban. We need you to come down and handle this.” Snow sighs as voices rise in the background.

“Why can’t you handle this?” Regina rolls her eyes. Snow was raised to be royalty and to handle these situations. 

“The Nomads trust you, not us. It will sound better if you show your support. David isn’t much help.” Snow’s annoyance with her husband finally filters through. David never did have much of a tough political drive.

“I’ll be down in a bit.” Regina promises and hangs up before Snow can respond.

“Was that my parents?” Emma asks clearly deciphering that the current predicament is what is not being handled.  
“It is indeed,” Regina shakes her head as she pockets her phone, “I need to go down there and back up your mother. David has never been one to handle opposing political sides well.” 

“Do you need me to come too?” Emma asks.

“No, I’m sure Snow and I can handle. You can stay here. I’ll see you all later.” Regina smiles, waves, and disappears in a cloud of smoke.

“You guys good here alone for a few minutes?” Emma turns suddenly to check on Henry and Cassi.

“Sure, where you going?” Henry asks smiling. Cassi is already rising to begin cleaning up breakfast.

“I just need to run some errands. I’ll let you know before I take off.” Emma promises. She takes off towards the stairs to go change.

“Hey! We aren’t your maids! Clean up your breakfast!” Henry calls after his mother. Her dishes disappear in a puff of smoke and reappear in the sink. Henry sighs and shakes his head, but Cassi giggles in delight.

“I love when they use magic.” Cassi beams up at Henry. Her own plate is scrapped clean.

“Did you really not know what those words meant?” Henry studies her.

“I didn’t know what a bromance was.” Cassi grins cheekily.

“You’re a brilliant little mastermind, you know that?” Henry smirks proudly at her.

“I know how to motivate.” Cassi is all proud smiles at she begins to clear the table. Henry just shakes his head and begins helping her. Hopefully, this is a motivating shove in the right direction.

Emma calls goodbye to the kids, and sets off to walk to Granny’s. After this morning’s conversation with Henry and Cassi, Emma is seriously reevaluating her life. First Snow comes to her then Henry and Cassi. What is her life turning into? Is everyone really encouraging her and Regina? Is that even an option? 

_“You’d have to break up with Hook first.” _Henry’s words float through her head. _Could _she do that? She’d killed him, more than once. They’d both lied to each other, multiple times. She’d never even tried to break up with him though. Why hadn’t she?____

____“Swan!”_ _ _ _

____Emma nearly jumped out of her skin. Deep in her thoughts, Emma hadn’t realized she’d already walked into town. She was nearly to Granny’s now. She’d completely missed Killian’s approach, and his voice sent unpleasant shivers down her spine. Could he see it on her face that she had been thinking about breaking up with him?_ _ _ _

____“You okay, Swan?” Killian asked coming up behind her. He put a hand on her shoulder, and Emma tenses beneath it. He stares at her with concern._ _ _ _

____“I-I” Emma stutters, “I think we need to talk, Killian.”_ _ _ _

____“That doesn’t sound good, about what?” Killian steps back from her now. He puts his hands in his front pockets and puffs up. He’s mirroring David now. Was that what always stopped Emma from breaking up with him? What caused her to run to him when she panicked?_ _ _ _

____“May be somewhere private?” Emma asks looking around the street._ _ _ _

____“Come on, Emma. You’re scaring me now.” Killian is looking at her with trepadation._ _ _ _

____“I really thing-” Emma begins but is quickly cut off._ _ _ _

____“This is starting to sound like a break up.” Killian says in disbelief. Emma starts getting more uncomfortable._ _ _ _

____“Killian-” Again, Emma is interrupted._ _ _ _

____“Seriously? Why? Because I didn’t agree with you yesterday?” Killian is getting worked up now. His voice is rising._ _ _ _

____“No! I’m just not sure anymore.” Emma tries to explain. She hasn’t even thought this out herself._ _ _ _

____“How can you _not _be sure?!” Killian demands.___ _ _ _

______“We’re just not that compatible.” Emma says weakly partially stealing Henry’s words._ _ _ _ _ _

______“ _Not that compatible? _” Killian is nearly screaming now.___ _ _ _ _ _

________“Calm down, Killian. Let’s go somewhere and talk.” Emma asks trying to put her hand on his arm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I will not calm down! We’re soul mates, Emma! We’ve been to hell and back!” Hook is beyond being calmed now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Hell didn’t prove we were soul mates, Killian. We couldn’t share a heart. We’ve never had true loves kiss.” Emma is suddenly thinking off all the failed attempts. The times they could have succeeded with true love and didn’t. There’d always been other factors that saved Killian’s life. It was never just because of them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You want to cast a curse to prove it then?” Killian demands becoming irrational._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Seriously?” Emma deadpans._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I thought we were serious. Clearly, I was wrong.” Killian’s face is twisted with his hurt feelings. Emma knows the breakup seems like it’s coming from no where. For her, it’s long overdue. She can see that now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’m sorry.” Emma says with a sigh. She runs a hand through her hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So am I, Swan. When you realize you regret this, I’ll be at my ship.” Killian walks off when Emma looks up to apologize again. That was not how she could have anticipated this going._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Regina finally managed to convince the Nomads that the temporary ban was just. When she had arrived, Snow and Charming had been trying to bring order to the angered workers. The man in charge, Gerald, is once again the loudest protester in the group. It had taken Regina twenty minutes to argue the reason of the ban with him. 

His argument was that they hadn’t know what to call the substance yet, and had classified it as ‘other’ on the forms. Since they didn’t even know how they would use it, they couldn’t describe it in detail. Regina finally made the difficult man realize that he had omitted sharing the knowledge of an unknown substance with the town officials. He argued that it would have delayed their work. Regina, meanwhile, wanted to strangle him for his stupidity. Instead, she calmly explained why that kind rules are in place. While it may have not been approved immediately when they submitted their form, there is a reason for the delay and permits needed to experiment with mysterious substances. The most recent explosion was evidence enough. 

Gerald had finally relented, and Regina left the Charmings to deal with the rest of the work. They’d have to do a walk through of the plant, and they needed to see them locking away the substance until a later date. Not wanting to risk taking the toxic substance back to Cassi again, Regina dismissed herself and was walking back out of the camp now. 

“Hello, Sis.” Zelena greeted cheerfully falling into step beside her sister.

“Where did you come from?” Regina tried to ignore her sister. She really wasn’t in the mood to deal with her today. Her mind was still stuck on this morning’s conversation.

“In town, actually, I just overheard the most interesting conversation.” Zelena was obviously hinting at something, but Regina refused to stop.

“Going to be the new town gossip, are you?” Regina quirks an eyebrow but never falters in her steps. They’re to the edge of the Nomad encampment now. Regina is ready to poof herself home.

“I wouldn’t say that. Seeing as how it involved your roommate, though, I thought you may have some interest in it.” Zelena taunts.

“What?” Regina snaps. Her mind instantly going to Cassi. Regina was going to kill Emma if Cassi managed to sneak out and cause trouble again.

“Well, Emma and the pirate both, really.” Zelena arches an eyebrow. Waiting for her sister to take the bait.

“Emma? What happened with Emma and Hook?” Regina demands instantly concerned. They’d just been talking about them this morning; it was the conversation she was dying to get back to. 

“Lots of yelling, right in the middle of town, too. I was under the impression the conversation was not happening how Emma hoped.” Zelena’s casual tone purposefully evades the conversation.

“Zelena,” The brunette deadpans to her sister.

“Regina,” The red head mocks in return.

“What happened?” Regina grinds out through gritted teeth.

“Sounded like Emma was breaking up with Hook.” Zelena gloats. Regina’s mouth drops open in shock. Her brown eyes widen and she gasps in a breath.

“She what?” Regina knows her voice rises in pitch. 

“Heard it myself. The dear captain was none too pleased either. Rather proud of Emma though, it was a long time coming.” Zelena shrugs as if she doesn’t have a care in the world.

“You’re sure that’s what you overheard?” Regina demands.

“Me and the whole center of town. He was quite loud with his protests.” 

The sisters stand there in silence for a moment. Regina contemplating the new information. _Emma broke up with Hook. _The same morning they had a conversation where that was suggested. The same day Cassi had mistaken them for lesbians. Regina froze. She shouldn’t be thinking like that. Her interests in the blonde would never become what she wanted them to become. They were merely interests that continued due to remaining unsatisfied. She should have settled her curiosities with the blonde before the curse broke. She should have taken control and stopped the pirate and Neal from fighting over the blonde in Neverland. Perhaps, things would have never worked out, but she may not still have her cravings for the blonde.__

__Over time, her desire to be with Emma had only escalated. For a while, she thought she’d be satisfied as friends. She had welcomed Robin as a distraction, and she truly found happiness there. Happiness was rarely ever in the cards for her, though. Henry was her only happiness. Henry, and having Emma Swan as her friends. She _would _be more than satisfied with that.___ _

____“That’s interesting.” Regina finally admits to her sister. She knows the silence has stretched too long._ _ _ _

____“You might want to talk to her about it.” Zelena suggests studying her sister._ _ _ _

____“Why?” Regina demands shocked her sister would suggest that._ _ _ _

____“She might need someone to talk things over. She looked really… lost before it happened.” Zelena shrugs. Henry had texted her about the breakfast conversation that morning. He also had asked her to follow Emma to see where she went. He suspected she would end up with Hook’s eventually. Zelena was happy to see Henry was correct._ _ _ _

____Regina narrows her eyes at her sister, “stay out of trouble today,” she commands before disappearing in a puff of smoke._ _ _ _

____“I make trouble; I don’t get into trouble.” Zelena mutters after her sister disappears, “Speaking of which.” Zelena eyes a suspicious group hauling something around behind the camp site, carefully out of view of the Charmings. She just _had _to check this out.___ _ _ _

______When Regina returned to the mansion, she saw Emma’s boots and leather jacket in the entryway. She also heard Henry and Cassi’s voices in the living room. When she peeked in, the two were busy playing a game. Not seeing Emma with them, Regina continued her search for the blonde woman. She found her upstairs splashing water on her face in Regina’s bathroom. Emma gasped when Regina appeared in the mirror._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Regina, what are you doing back so soon?” Emma asks startled._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Your parents have the situation handled for now.” Regina shrugs studying the blonde. She can tell Emma has been crying, even though she tried to get rid of the evidence._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m surprised you’d say that.” Emma attempts a half-hearted joke._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I guess today is surprising all around.” Regina arches a questioning brow at Emma. The blonde woman sighs and runs her hands through her hair._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Who told you?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“It doesn’t matter. I’d rather hear it from you.” Regina says softly. There’s a short pause, but Emma does tell her about it._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I just couldn’t do it anymore. After being here, I knew Hook and I weren’t right. I wanted to talk about it calmly and privately but-” Emma lets her sentence hang unfinished in the air._ _ _ _ _ _

______“He saw it coming?” inquires Regina curious to know why the breakup happened so publicly instead._ _ _ _ _ _

______“No- maybe- I don’t know. He must have thought about it too, or maybe he’s been expecting me run.” Emma begins to reflect negatively into herself.  
“Emma, I don’t think anyone is expecting you to run anymore.” Regina reassures stepping closer._ _ _ _ _ _

______“No? How did Hook guess it so easily then?” Emma’s voice is laced with self doubt. She may have ended the relationship, but it still stung how easily Hook knew it was coming._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Your relationship has been far from perfect, Emma.” Regina reminds her. “You literally drug each other to hell. Even your best intentions didn’t work out. It might just not have been meant to be.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Meant to be? What are you, my mother?” Emma jokes. Her laughter dies off when she sees Regina’s answering glare at the comparison to Snow White. “I’m the sad one this time, give me a break.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Fine, but _do not _make that joke again.” Regina’s tone looses some sternness at the end. “You get my point though, correct?”___ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah,” Emma sighs, “it was just easier to keep going with it though. I honestly think he was going to propose soon.” Emma drags her hands down her face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What?” gasps Regina._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I-,” starts Emma sheepishly, “I may have found the ring going through his things.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You found a _ring _?” Regina questions.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah, it was in his box on the ship. I came across it and panicked. I’ve been dreading that he’d want to ask me for nearly a week now.” Emma admits._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Why didn’t you tell me about it?” Regina demands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh come on, it’s not like you were ever his biggest fan anyways. You would have just continued to discourage it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I was clearly right.” Regina gloats teasingly. She may be slightly offended by the remark, but it’s enough to see she was right come to play. She won’t drag that part of the conversation out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Remind me to listen to you from here on out.” Emma eyes her as she takes a seat on Regina’s bed. Her attempt at a joke while she’s clearly not in the mood does not go unnoticed by Regina._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What do you want to do now?” Regina asks sitting beside her on the bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Just lie around and mope for a while and eat my weight in grilled cheese?” Emma smiles at Regina with a pleading expression. The brunette chuckles._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Would you like me to make you a grilled cheese?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Two if you would.” Emma flashes a cheesy grin at Regina._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Get under the covers and turn the television on, I’ll go make your grilled cheese.” Regina rolls her eyes but not with great annoyance. She can hear Emma shuffling up the bed to get comfortable. Regina silently basks in the fact that Emma’s farce of a relationship is finally over._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	18. Girls' Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the latest episode of a girls' night out. Drunk Snow is truly a gem. We'll see where things go from there. Gets a little graphic at the end. 'Never Have I Ever' is always a wild game.

Two weeks later, the town is quiet for the first time in what feels like ages. The Nomads, furious over the ban of one of their products, was hounding the sheriff’s station and mayor’s office to get it lifted. Despite the ban, Emma had just finished investigating the fifth explosion involving the substance in the past two weeks. The Nomads refused to own up to any of them. When Emma and David and told them that this would prolong the ban, shit had hit the fan after that.

“Maybe we should just lift ban.” David sighs with his head down on his desk.

“We can’t it’s dangerous.” Emma groans.

“It hasn’t actually hurt anyone yet, and they contained it better when they could work at their camp.” David rationalizes aloud.

“It destroyed a two-ton boulder today and a good deal of the surrounding area. The ban is not being lifted.” Emma insists to which David sighs again.

“I’m going to go to Granny’s then for our lunch. We’re going to be doing paperwork all day for this last explosion.” David hops up and grabs his keys.

“Bring me-” Emma starts but gets waved off by David.

“I know! I’ll get it!” David calls over his shoulder as he leaves the building. Emma rests her head on her arms again after he leaves. Her dad had been even more upset than Hook or her over their break up. Henry and Cassi had been right about the two men’s bromance. That and the ban were causing stress between Emma and her father as well. Her father was a fan of things not being easily dealt with. Neither a break up or the ban were easily dealt with.

“Tough day, sweetie?” Snow’s voice startles her daughter out of her sluggish state.

“What? Ugh, yeah. Kind of.” Emma says trying to pull herself together.

“It’s been a rough couple of weeks lately. Here and at the mayor’s office.” Snow is sympathetic to everyone’s plights even though she had returned to teaching. Regina handled all of the mayoral duties, but Snow stayed involved in everything important.

“The school too. That third explosion happened at the school grounds.” Emma reminds her. Emma and Regina still were terrified of what that had meant for Cassi. Cassi had discussed wanting to return to school, but she backed off after she heard about the explosion. Regina and Emma had been trying to encourage the girl to come forth again, but the explosion had discouraged everyone.

“We’re thankful it happened after school and no one was hurt. The fact that the Nomad children managed to get ahold of it is a great concern to the school.” Snow, who still has no idea about Cassi, doesn’t even have half the idea of what kind of damage the Kryptonite can do.

“It’s a concern to everyone but the Nomads.” Emma huffs.

“How are you doing in other areas of life?” Snow hints at her daughter.

_“Moommm.” _Emma groans not in the mood to talk about Hook with her parents again.__

____

“I’m not even going to say what, but I want to know how you’re doing, honey. I know your dad can’t be helping.” 

“He means well.” Emma fidgets with a report on her desk avoiding her mother’s eye contact.

“He’s just sad you’re not dating his best friend anymore.” Snow reassures her daughter. 

“The two of them are insufferable.” Emma’s voice is laced with defeat over the situation. 

She’d nearly caved and went back to Hook last week. He had called her apologizing for not allowing her to talk that day. They had met up and talked about it, but that had blown up in Emma’s face as well. Hook was convinced she just needed time, and her dad was of the same opinion. Emma had spent the following week using Regina and her mother as human shields against Hook and her father’s persuasive comments. 

“They are, believe me, I know.” Snow chuckles sharing in her daughter’s misery. “That’s why I thought we could all use a girl’s night.” Snow smiles hopefully at her daughter.

“What?” Emma laughs shocked by the suggestion.

“A girl’s night. Things have been so crazy; everyone could use a break.” 

“Who is everyone?” Emma cocks her head at her mother not committed to the idea of a girl’s night right now.

“You, me, Regina for starters. The town alone has been driving us crazy. Ruby! She’s been pulling doubles working here and at Granny’s. Her and Dorothy could use a night out, I’m sure of it.” Snow insists.

“When would we all even have the time?” Emma laughs shaking her head. The idea doesn’t sound bad, but it does sound like a lot for someone who has been hiding away in the mayoral mansion with her kids for better part of the past two weeks. 

“Tonight.” Snow says with firm enthusiasm. 

“What?!” Emma almost yells the word in shock. 

“Calm down, it’s just a night out. It turns out everyone happens to be free tonight, so we thought we’d make it easy.” Snow shrugs reading her daughters nerves about the night out, finally.

“Who is _we _?” Emma demands slightly shocked over being ambushed with plans.__

____

“Well, Ruby was the one who mentioned Dorothy hasn’t even been out around Storybrook yet with all the craziness. I suggested a girls night to show her the town. Ruby loved the idea, of course.” Snow begins snowballing on her explanation while Emma tries to calm her panic. “Then, Regina stopped in for lunch and we invited her. She thought it was a great idea.” Emma’s eyes go wide as saucers when she hears this.

_“Regina thought it was a great idea?” _Emma asks in disbelief.__

____

“She…. she might not have used those exact words.” Snow admits begrudgingly. “She warmed up to the idea, though, and she is completely on board now.” 

“Why?” Emma groans dramatically. She already knows her battle is lost if Regina is on board.

“Love the enthusiasm, sweetie!” Snow pats her daughter’s arm and bounces up. “I need to get back to the school. Regina has all the details. Have a good day!” 

Emma gets her phone out and opens her phone up. She quickly sends Regina a text. She gets an almost instant reply.

E: Are we really doing girls night?

R: Yes, it will be fun.

E: Since when do you do fun?

R: I’m sorry, do you want me to keep cooking for you?

E: I’M SORRY! I TAKE IT BACK!  
E: But WHYYY girl’s night.

R: Because your post break-up depression is stinking up the house.

E: RUDE!

R: Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong.

E: It’s too soon. You can’t hold what I said post break-up over my head yet.  
R: I believe your exact words were, “Remind me to listen to you from here on out.”

E: Must have been my depression talking.

R: We’ll leave after dinner tonight.  
R: Don’t forget to pick up Henry after school.  
R: I have to go make sure the Nomad’s mess is cleaned up.

E: Fine...  
E: Send me pictures if it’s not for a report.

Emma puts her phone down when she hears her dad enter the station with lunch. She can smell the fries from her lunch wafting over to her.

“Here, bulk up for girl’s night.” Her dad teases her throwing the bag of food on Emma’s desk.

“Heard about that, did ya?” Emma asks ripping open her food bag and shoving a fry in her mouth.

“I have babysitting duty tonight so your mother can go. Need me to watch Henry?” Charming offers.

“Nah, we’re trying to show him we trust him by letting him stay home alone now.” Emma explains. 

“You’re not worried about him having Violet over?” Charming’s tone plays at the meaning of the words.

“Eww, no. The kids too shy. Besides, you should have seen his face after Regina gave him ‘the talk’.” Emma uses her fingers as air quotes while speaking.

“No, thank you.” Charming says leaning back in his chair chuckling. 

“Regina used lots of pictures and big words I did not need to know.” Emma jokes picking at her fries. 

In all honesty, Cassi needed a babysitter more than Henry did at this point. It had been the final shove Regina and Emma had rationalized agreeing to Henry’s pleas to be allowed to stay home alone. Leaving Cassi with Zelena could only go on for so long before the two found trouble. Henry and Cassi alone was a slightly more agreeable plan for the pure fact that Henry took taking care of Cassi very seriously. It had surprised both mothers to see Henry’s natural instincts kick in with Cassi. He made sure Cassi ate the vegetables in the dinners Regina left for them. He made sure Cassi didn’t spend too much time playing video games, and he tutored Cassi while he did his homework. The girl was flying through Henry’s lessons almost faster than he was.

Emma’s day went surprisingly fast the rest of the afternoon. She inhaled her lunch and mowed through paper work for the rest of the day. The entire time she panicked over the up coming girls’ night. Could she get out of it? No. Did she have to get dressed up? No. Would she be expected to? Yes. Would she? Undoubtedly. When three o’clock hit, she said goodbye to her father and left to get Henry. She picked him up and drove them home. She didn’t have to talk about girl’s night again until dinner time that night.

“Henry, Cassi,” Regina began while they were all eating dinner, “Emma and I are going out tonight. Henry’s in charge.” 

“All right!” Cassi cheers.

“Where are you going on a Friday night?” Henry smirks knowingly.

“We’re going to a girls’ night.” Regina responds calmly. 

“At the _Rabbit Hole _?” Henry’s voice raises suggestively.__

____

____

“Yes, at the _Rabbit Hole _with your grandmother, Ruby, and Dorothy.” Regina refuses to be goaded by her son.__

____

____

“Don’t stay out too late.” Henry teases. 

“We won’t, but both of your bedtimes is eleven tonight even if we’re not back yet.” Regina says sternly. When she glances at Emma she smiles.

“Let’s get ready to go then, Emma.” Regina rises and clears her dishes. Emma sighs and follows along. She follows Regina up stairs to her bedroom to get ready. Emma has basically moved into Regina’s bedroom at this point, but neither woman has said anything about it. Emma changes into a pair of dark jeans and steals one of Regina’s fancy tops. Emma turns when Regina comes out of the bathroom.

“Hey! Those are my jeans!” Emma gasps looking down at Regina’s pants. Regina had on Emma’s black jeans, with a dark top and jacket, and heels. 

“That’s my shirt.” Regina says brushing past Emma. She sits at the vanity and begins studying her face.

“I don’t even want to go.” Emma complains throwing herself onto the bed, “It takes so long to even get ready!” 

“Emma,” Regina pauses and waits for Emma to sit back up and look at her, “magic.” Regina reminds her simply. There’s a puff of smoke and Regina’s hair is now curled and her make-up in perfect.

“OMG! Magic!” Emma exclaims excitedly finally remembering she can do that too. She gives it a whirl, and she’s covered in smoke for a moment. When it dissipates, she rushes over to check the mirror. Her make up is minimal but perfect, and her hair is curled how she used to wear it.

“Let’s go dear.” Regina says plucking beneath Emma’s chin and winking at her. Emma’s heart stutters a moment, and she gulps with nerves. A drunken girl night with Regina sounds like loads of fun, if Emma can keep her hands to herself while intoxicated. Emma had yet to say anything about her feelings to Regina, and she prayed tonight didn’t blow up in her face. Especially if the only other person who know, her mother, was coming along tonight. It’s not like her mother hadn’t said things at the wrong time before.

Regina and Emma park their car and walk into the bar about half an hour later. It has a fair crowd, a good deal of them tipsy already, and music from after the eighty’s for once. Emma spots her mother and drags Regina by the hand to the table. When they get there, they see Bella at the table as well.

“Emma! Regina!” Snow calls excitedly spying the women. She greets them with big hugs when they get to the table. “Here, have shots.” Snow says sloppily shoving the drinks in the women’s hands. 

“Did you start without us?” Emma side-eyes her mother.

“Only a little bit.” The short haired brunette promises. Regina nudges Emma to see two empty shots at her mother’s place already. There’s five in front of Ruby’s, and one in front of Belle and Dorothy’s.

“Cheers, ladies!” Red calls out. Everyone at the table, including Regina and Emma, throw back their shots as a group. 

“Is this tequila?” Emma nearly coughs after she downs the shot but holds herself together. Regina passes her a lime while she sucks on her own.

“I _really _needed this night.” Snow says seriously.__

____

____

“Next round!” Regina suddenly speaks up making everyone cheer. As Emma took the next tequila shot in hand, she knew it was going to be an interesting night.

An hour, and an entire tray of shots, later everyone was dancing at the Rabbit Hole which had become busier as the night wore on. Ruby and Dorothy were dancing together on the floor while the others had finally taken a break and returned to their table.

“I have not been this drunk since my Lacey days.” Bella sighs with a happy smile sliding into her seat.

“You’re welcome for those fond memories, dear.” Regina drunkenly teases. There’s a warm flush on her cheeks, and her curls are tousled from dancing.

“You know; you barely make the top of my list of people who have royally fucked me over. You’re not that evil.” Belle sasses back. There’s a hesitant pause where Regina glares at her, but it’s interrupted by a slight hiccup from the former Evil Queen. It sets all four women at the table howling with laughter. 

“Come on Belle, let’s go buy another round.” Snow hops up from her seat, stumbles, and catches herself on the table.

“Hell yeah!” Bella cheers dragging Snow to the bar with her.

“I think there’s a little more Lacey in there than Belle sometimes.” Emma chuckles watching the two moms run to the bar.

“The curse had to pull their personalities from somewhere.” Regina muses, then smiles drunkenly at Emma. “How are you liking girls’ night?” 

Emma can’t help but smile back. The alcohol has rushed to her brain, and all of her thoughts are warm and fuzzy. “It’s a lot better than I expected.” 

“Worth that two seconds of pain getting ready caused you?” 

“I don’t know about _thaatttt. _” Emma drawls chuckling.__

____

____

“Hey!” Ruby and Dorothy greet walking up to their table again.

“Where’s Snow and Belle?” Dorothy asks glancing around.

“They went to get more drinks.” Emma explains gesturing in the general direction of the bar. They all glance over to check for the two women, but they miss Snow and Belle sneaking up from the other direction.

“Guys, we have to go.” Belle whispers urgently.

“What why?” Ruby demands with confusion in her voice.

“I stole a bottle of booze.” Snow giggles sneakily revealing a bottle she’d been trying to hide by angling her body away from the bar.

“Oh my god! _Mom! _” Emma’s eyes go wide and her draw drops open in surprise. Regina and Dorothy begin laughing hysterically.  
“Why did you steal it?” Ruby chuckles tilting the bottle towards herself to see the label.__

____

____

“The bar was packed and they were taking too long.” Snow shrugs calmly.

“Mom, you’re suppose to be _good _! You can’t just take things. You have to give that back.” Emma is sober enough to worry about the situation she’s finding herself in.__

____

____

“I’m also a bandit. And I’m banditing this bottle of tequila.” Snow tries to stand taller to make her point but sways lightly.

“That’s not a word.” Belle rolls her eyes this time. She snatches the bottle, opens it, and take a swig. “Ugh! You should have stolen limes too.” Belle blinks and passes the bottle back to Snow.

“I can go get some.” She says handing the bottle to Regina ready to bolt back to the bar. 

“Oh no you don’t.” Regina takes the bottle and grabs Snow’s collar. “We’re taking out bounty and splitting. Let’s go.” Regina rises and begins herding the others towards the door. 

“Guys! We have to pay for that!” Emma hisses. When she is only ignored, she grabs her jacket from the chair and hurries behind her friends. She swipes the salt shaker off the table on her way out. There’s no way she’s drinking tequila without salt and limes.

The gang of women leave the bar out a side entrance and walk to the woods to drink their pilfered tequila. The night is chilly, but the alcohol helps dull the cold. Everyone is far too loud to truly be sneaking off, but no one stops them either. Emma hurries after them as they walk to a clearing that children appear to play in. 

“No way! Someone built a tree house!” Snow hollers running over to the tree. She quickly begins to climb the makeshift ladder nailed into the tree. Ruby, Dorothy, and Belle cheer as they line up to follow her into the tree house above them.

“Do you think the Nomad kids made this?” Regina asks Emma glancing around. 

“It looks like it. It looks like they’ve been busy.” Emma points into the trees. There’s other pieces of wood arranged and nailed down to make climbing equipment for the kids. 

“Let’s go check it out.” There is excitement in Regina’s tone as she shoves the bottle into Emma’s hands. Regina begins climbing the tree in heels. She does it surprisingly well, and Emma admits she waits to begin climbing to admire the view from below. She takes a quick swig from the bottle to distract her thoughts and begins climbing as well. When she gets to the top, Ruby snatches the bottle from her. 

“Come on slow poke,” Ruby chuckles patting the seat beside her, “we’re playing Never Have I Ever.” 

“We’re what?” Emma laughs in disbelief. 

“Never Have I Ever. Now sit down and put up three fingers.” Snow instructs her daughter.

“Damn, all right.” Emma says holding up three fingers. 

“When you put a finger down, you take a drink too.” Ruby says holding up the bottle and putting in the center of the circle where people have laid their phones with the flashlight on to make light.

“I’ll start!” says Dorothy cheerily, “Never Have I Ever been a mom.”

Regina, Emma, Snow, and Belle all groan and put down a finger. Ruby congratulates her girlfriend with a kiss. Emma snatches the bottle, takes a drink, and passes it around the shoulder. When she glances up, she catches Regina staring at her curiously from across the circle. She gives her a soft smile and doesn’t break eye contact as she takes the bottle from Snow and takes her sip. 

“Emma, your turn.” Dorothy says turning to her.

“Umm, never have I ever lived in a palace.” Emma says trying to think quickly.

Snow, Regina, and Belle all groan. Snow demands Ruby drink to because she lived in a castle while she was a guard before the dark curse.

“Never have I ever, kissed a girl.” Belle says smiling wickedly across the circle at Dorothy who still has all her fingers up. Ruby and Dorothy both put a finger down and roll their eyes. Regina and Emma both look at each other startled when they both put a finger down. Then, Emma looks at her own mother in surprise when she puts one down as well.

“Mom! Who have you kissed?” Emma gasps in shock.

“A lady does not kiss and tell.” Snow says and quickly then realizes what that means, “I’m out! This was the shortest game ever! I’m going to explore the rest of the area.” Snow huffs. Everyone chuckles as she leaves.

“Who would have thought Snow White would have been the first one out.” Belle muses. 

“Let’s see if I can get you next,” Regina says eyeing the fair skinned woman, “Never have I ever been under a sleeping curse.” 

“You suck!” Belle huffs, “Wait for me, Snow. They play dirty!” Belle climbs back down the ladder as well.

“Let’s see how dirty we can make this.” Ruby chuckles swirling the bottle she took from Belle on her way down. “I noticed you both put a finger down for kissing a girl, but do you have to put a finger down for anything else….”  
“Be careful with this one, babe.” Dorothy warns her girl friend. 

“All is fair in never have I ever.” Ruby chuckles eyeing her girl friend hotly. Emma knows Ruby knows what she’s done with girls. Emma’s afraid she knows what she is going to pick. Emma had always been the one to use a strap on with the girls she’s been with in the past. Ruby had admitted to always being on the receiving end. Ruby and Emma had never done anything, but they had talked about it privately before.

“Never have I ever worn a strap-on.” Ruby smirks, “Drink up bitches!” Ruby chuckles watching as both Emma and Dorothy take sips of their drinks. Then, she turns to Regina as well. “You too Miss Apple Lube, I remember what we did in the eighties.” 

_“Excuse me?” _Dorothy coughs on her sip and shoves the bottle in Emma’s arms.__

____

____

“It was all before you, my love.” Ruby leans in trying to kiss the frown off her girl friend. 

“I can’t believe you got me out on that.” Dorothy huffs, narrows her eyes, and storms off.

“Babe!” Ruby calls after her girl friend, “you still have to drink.” Ruby demands to Regina pointing a finger straight at her.

“I did not think you remembered that.” Regina chuckles taking the bottle for her sip.

“You insisted we use your lube instead of mind and then fucked me seven ways to Sunday. A girl does not forget encounters like that.” Ruby chuckles then chases after her girl friend. There is a pregnant pause in the air after she leaves. Regina and Emma just stare at each other, both women are unsure what to to each other. 

_“So,” _Emma finally says trying to break the silence, “do we need to have a talk about your apple obsession?”__


	19. In the Treehouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The treehouse scene continues. It still posses some graphic language early on that's a continuation of the conversation from last chapter. Written in honor of 4/20

“That’s all you’re going to say?” Regina snorts. 

“It sounds pretty serious.” Emma jokes and smirks. Then, she reaches over and snatches the bottle from Regina’s grasp. She takes a sip of the liquid that burns its way down her throat. 

“Does it bother you?” Regina asks shifting where she sits.

“The fact that you slept with Ruby too?” Emma asks confused, absent-mindedly taking a sip of the liquor. 

_“Too?” _Regina gasps. Emma just chuckles in response.__

__“How do you think she knew I was the one wearing strap-ons?”_ _

__“Well,” Regina stutters shocked._ _

__“Finally shocked you speechless, Regina?” Emma taunts, teasing the brunette._ _

__“Of course not! You just seemed more like a bottom to me.” Regina huffs recovering quickly._ _

__“Top or bottom, I never leave a lady disappointed.” The liquid courage has burned its way straight into Emma’s brain. The affects of the liquid make her talk bigger game than she usually would. She prefers to show, not tell._ _

__“You talk pretty boastful for someone’s who has been mostly with men for the last few years.” Regina retorts with a raised eyebrow. Her body straightens, and she takes the bottle back from Emma with a sharp tug. Emma eyes her and the bottle she snatched. There is a challenge in her eyes. The former queen is not known for backing down from a challenge, verbal or physical._ _

__“You’re one to talk.” Emma goads, “I didn’t exactly see you running around with any ladies.”_ _

__“Just because you didn’t know, does not mean it wasn’t happening. I’m sure you can think of another woman in town who might perk my interest. She is also magical, powerful, and a beast in bed.” Regina wiggles the bottle in sync with her sing-song voice. “I do have a thing for blondes.” The final taunt is followed by the most regal, seductive sip from a liquor bottle Emma has ever seen._ _

__Emma understands immediately who Regina is goading her with. “I have slain your blonde play thing.” Emma finally leans forward and snatches the bottle out of Regina’s hands. She’s had enough of the play. Placing the bottle off to the side, Emma leans in close to Regina’s face. Emma can see the rich brown of Regina’s eyes, and her perfume surrounds Emma in a scent that is distinctly Regina. “Why don’t I show you how it’s really done.”_ _

__The air in the tree house is heavy with sexual tension. The last line is always the final breaking point in the movies. Where the two lovers, overwhelmed with passion, throw themselves at each other. Except, there two women are not unfamiliar with a fight. Emma can see the flush on Regina’s chest, and the heavy rise and fall of her chest. When she looks down from Regina’s eyes to her lips, Regina tongue peaks out of her mouth to wet her plump lips._ _

__“You couldn’t handle me.” Regina cocks half a smiles. The woman knows exactly where Emma is looking. The blonde woman shifts even closer and relaxes into the position as if she is not phased by the atmosphere at all. It isn’t until Emma looks back up that she speaks again._ _

__“Oh my queen, just you wait and see.” This time, Emma knows she has the upper hand. Regina blinks in shock. Then, relaxes when Emma leans forward just a bit. The brunette moves in equal measure, moving toward meeting the blonde halfway. When they’re just a breath away from each other’s lips, the two woman are interrupted from a voice down below._ _

__“Get down here you two!” Snows voice rips through the heavy atmosphere in the treehouse in an instant. The two women jump back from each other, shocked at how intense things have become. “We found something you have to see!” Snows tone does not hold the same drunken happiness it had before.  
“We should probably go down.” Regina is the first to speak._ _

__“I don’t want to.” Emma’s tone is serious as she stairs into her eyes. The more serious meaning of her words is clear. _This wasn’t just sexual tension. _____

____“I know,” Regina reassures the blonde, “we can talk about it at home.”_ _ _ _

____Emma smiles with a dimple in her cheek, “At home.”_ _ _ _

____“Guys! Seriously!” Ruby calls up with concern in her voice. This time, the women move into action. They climb down the ladder as quickly as they can, remembering to take the nearly empty liquor bottle with them._ _ _ _

____“What is it?” Emma asks when she gets to the bottom._ _ _ _

____“We found something, and now we have to go be adults again.” Snow sighs into a pout._ _ _ _

____“Belle and Dorothy are over checking for more.” Ruby points into the direction of the forest where everyone can just barely make out the light of cell phone flashlights._ _ _ _

____“Oh, you’ve _got _to be kidding me,” Regina groans and stomps over in the direction of the other woman. The fact that she can stomp off in heels on the soggy forest floor is a feat to behold.___ _ _ _

______“Wait for me, Regina!” Snow calls and takes off after her. Both woman can still be similar to young children at times, and it can be especially apparent when drunk._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Sometimes, it’s weird their friends now.” Ruby comments as they watch Snow following quickly after Regina until she catches up and falls into step beside the other woman._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Did you hear what was going on in the tree house?” Emma asks already knowing the answer._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You bet I did.” Ruby says with a touch of dramatic sass to her tone. Her wolf’s hearing is exceptional whether she is in wolf form or not._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Now, think about how weird it is that my mother, Snow White, is drunkenly chasing after the woman I almost kissed, her previous step-mother, the former Evil queen, who is drunkenly stomping into the forest in stilettos.” Emma should be beyond being amazed at the weirdness of her life, but sometimes it just gets to her._ _ _ _ _ _

______Finally understanding Emma’s perspective, Ruby stares at her friend with an awkward pause. Digging in her red backpack to give her something else to think about, Ruby pulls out a blunt and a lighter. Placing both items in one hand, she offers them straight to Emma._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Here, you deserve the first hit.” Ruby dead pans._ _ _ _ _ _


	20. The Plot Begins to Unravel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some continuation from my 4/20 inspired potion. Regina and Snow are children sometimes. Then, everyone has to start being responsible again.

“What were you and Emma doing?” Snow White asks Regina as soon as she catches up to the woman. 

“Nothing that is any of your concern.” Regina responds picking up speed again.

“Classy, don’t kiss and tell.” Snow whispers like she knows exactly what happened.

“We did _not _kiss.” Regina hisses.__

__“Why not,” Snow inquires turning her flashlight app on when they get to the edge of the woods, “you guys had more than enough time.”_ _

__“I’m sorry,” Regina stops in her tracks, “did you _want _me to kiss your daughter?”___ _

____Snow stops in her track as well. The nuttiness that was their lives took a minute to sink in sometimes. Ruby and Emma catch the last remark that Regina mutters when they reach the two woman. Taking one more quick hit of the blunt, Ruby passes the blunt to the pixie haired brunette first. Then, her and Emma take off ahead of them to catch up with Belle and Dorothy._ _ _ _

____“Make sure Regina has some too.” Ruby calls over her shoulder._ _ _ _

____Snow takes one big hit of the blunt then coughs it out. Then passes the blunt and pats her chest. A cloudy of white smoke explodes into the air from her mouth._ _ _ _

____“I still blame you for how weird my life is.” Regina mutters with husked breath holding her hit in. With a deep sign she releases the smoke from her lungs._ _ _ _

____Snow rips the blunt out of her hand and takes another drag. “I try not to think about it.”_ _ _ _

____Leaving to catch up to the others, Snow arrives to the small group first. Regina sees her pass off the blunt and groan._ _ _ _

____“I don’t want to be responsible for this.” Snow whines stopping her foot and giving a dramatic eye roll._ _ _ _

____Regina comes up behind her and gasps. Previously hiding by the other women’s bodies, the ground is glowing green with the toxic Kryptonite the Nomads were tampering with earlier. The substance that had made Cassie ill. Regina felt Emma pull her arm softly. She stumbled back a step from the mess. The unspoken warning was understood, don’t get too close._ _ _ _

____“I’ll call David. We’ll rope the area off and deal with it tomorrow.” Emma is immediately in police mode. She pulls her phone out of her pocket and calls her father. Stepping off to the side to have the conversation._ _ _ _

____“You weren’t kidding when you said you all had weird lives.” Dorothy steps closer to Ruby, away from the Kryptonite.  
“It never stops.” Belle sighs and takes a giant drag off the blunt that finally gets passed to her. _ _ _ _

____The group quickly finishes the blunt and sobers up a little by the time David arrives. Other than starring at every one like they’re crazy when he arrives, David ignores the group of women and handles the crime scene. He ropes off the area and takes photos of the scene. The women focus on sobering up enough to get home. By the time Regina and Emma poof back to the mansion, it’s late and they fall asleep quickly in Regina’s bed together. There is no more conversation for the evening, and they sink into a comforting slumber induced by alcohol, THC, and the warm body beside them._ _ _ _

____Regina and Emma awake to a warm body attempting to sneak up the covers in between them. Judging by the unnaturally high body temperature, knobby elbows hitting their sides, and the tickle of long hair, Regina and Emma were able to assume the third body joining them in bed this morning was Cassi._ _ _ _

____“Guys, I know you’re awake.” Cassi whispers poking her head out from beneath the comforter._ _ _ _

____“Do you need something, sweetheart?” Regina murmurs stroking Cassi’s hair back. The first of the two women to actually wake up somewhat._ _ _ _

____“You found more Kryptonite,” Cassi states even more softly than Regina had spoken._ _ _ _

____“We were going to tell you.” Emma promises suddenly far more awake than she had been._ _ _ _

____“David called Henry to get you guys up this morning. He wants to go clean it up and talk to the Nomads.” Cassi seemed to be building up to something._ _ _ _

____“How do you feel? We tried to make sure we didn’t get any on us.” Regina asks concerned._ _ _ _

____“I feel fine.” Cassie nods reassuringly. “I would- I would actually like to go out there with you.”_ _ _ _

____“I’m not sure it’s safe.” Emma jumps automatically. Sitting up slightly in bed._ _ _ _

____“I won’t get too close. I just want to see what they’re doing with it.” Cassi explains. Despite how young she was; she knew quite a bit about the element that caused her people such harm._ _ _ _

____“We won’t tell you no,” Regina begins, “but we would like you to stay close to us while you’re there.”_ _ _ _

____“Okay,” Cassi shrugs easily agreeing to the terms._ _ _ _

____“Ladies!” Henry calls up the stairs, “Anyone going to come join me for breakfast?”_ _ _ _

____“We made pancakes and turkey bacon!” Cassi excitedly bounces off the bed and takes off out of the room._ _ _ _

____“They made pancakes, Regina, pancakes.” Emma hops up moving to follow Cassi._ _ _ _

____Regina smiles up and the blonde and rolls up and out of bed. Emma doesn’t even need to see Regina to know there’s an eye-roll. “I heard.”_ _ _ _

____Regina and Emma appear in the clearing near the scene with Cassi about an hour and a half later. There’s a pause in conversation when Emma’s parents and the two dwarfs helping to clear the scene catches sight of Cassi. David and Snow approach them immediately._ _ _ _

____“Emma, Regina, who’s your friend?” Snow asks with a surprised smile and shake of her when the couple approaches. David stares at Cassi in shock._ _ _ _

____“Mom, dad, this is Cassi. The girl who saved Henry’s life. She’s concerned about the Kryptonite and agreed to come look at it and talk with us.” Emma explains putting a hand of Cassi’s shoulder. The young girl is already clutching Regina’s hand on her other side. Nerves radiating off of her from the attention and reason for being there._ _ _ _

____“Do you know what it is?” David asks her. He uses the same tone as he would an adult, and Regina and Emma are both grateful he won’t belittle Cassi._ _ _ _

____Cassi nods, “Yes, on my planet this substance is used as a weapon against my kind. It makes us very ill.”_ _ _ _

____“Should you even be here then?” Snow asks alarmed. Glancing over her shoulder. The Kryptonite that is left is about 500 yards away from them._ _ _ _

____“I can feel it, but it’s not lethal to me at this distance.” Cassi reassures. The wording catches concern through the group._ _ _ _

____“Lethal?” David asks._ _ _ _

____“Only if it pieces my skin or touches it for an extended amount of time.” Cassi is relaxing somewhat in the conversation, though she stays in between Regina and Emma. Only shifting nervously from foot to foot._ _ _ _

____“We need to make sure we get rid of all of it, then. Also, we have to make sure we enforce the ban.” Snows tone holds conviction._ _ _ _

____“The Nomads aren’t going to like it; do they know what it is even?” David asks already thinking of the headache this is about to be to enforce._ _ _ _

____“They first began familiarizing themselves with it when I arrived. I crashed half a mile from some. They collected it and were testing it until Mr. Wenburg realized it made me sick. He locked it up. I haven’t seen it since before his passing. They must have brought it with them when we all left.” Cassi speaks with all the sureness of an adult. Confidently and well thought out.  
“We’ll tell them to pack it up and that they can’t test it here for now. We’re going to want to question you still Cassi. You’re leaving a lot more questions unanswered than answered at this point.” David is stern. Having already waited a long time to sort through this mess, he wasn’t about to let the girl fly away again._ _ _ _

____Cassi glances up nervously at Regina and squeezes her hand. Regina gives her hand a soft squeeze back. She answers for Cassi when it’s clear the young girl is too timid._ _ _ _

____“Maybe we can go back to my place after and talk about it. Bring your tape recorder so you can get an official statement regarding Henry’s case.” Regina suggests._ _ _ _

____“That’s fine with me, as long as she doesn’t take off.” David reasons._ _ _ _

____“That is completely fine. Why don’t you take Cassi there now, Regina? She doesn’t have to stay around this stuff. We can easily clean it up and talk to the Nomads.” Snow takes control and eyes her blonde daughter who relaxes some under that plan._ _ _ _

____“We’ll make lunch.” Regina promises and grabs Cassi’s hand. Regina nods to Emma, and Cassi smiles and waves. Emma smiles and waves back as they leave._ _ _ _

____“Well, we have our work cut out for us. Why don’t you help with the clean up, Emma, and David and I will go talk to the Nomads.” Snow continues taking control of the situation._ _ _ _

____“Sounds good.” Emma nods and moves over closer to the crime scene. Out of hearing range from her parents._ _ _ _

____David looks down at his wife suspiciously. “How much do you know about Emma and this situation?”_ _ _ _

____“Not as much as I would like too.” Snow responds watching her daughter get involved, “Let’s go talk to the Nomads so we can find out more.”_ _ _ _


	21. Choices Must be Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Swan-Mills Charming Squad sit down to discuss what happened at the campsite. What the Nomad's are after is revealed.

Emma poofs herself, her parents, and baby brother back to the Mill’s mansion in time for a late lunch. The trio had stopped to collect Neal, and change clothes, to make sure they didn’t bring and residual Kryptonite back with them. Regina, Cassi, and Henry can be heard talking in the kitchen. Emma leads them to the rest of her family.

“Grams! Gramps!” Henry calls lifting his head and smiling from where he was helping Regina slice a tomato. It appears sandwiches and homemade french-fries are on the menu. Cassi is already eating some of the meat while Regina finishes the final sandwich.

“Hey, Henry. Smells good in here.” David smiles and claps Henry on the back as he enters the kitchen.

“Did you bring a baby?” Cassi asks Snow excitedly as she deposits Neal’s carrier on the counter.

“I did, this is Neal.” Snow pulls the blanket back so Cassi can get a better look. The small girl swallows her food and floats up and over to peer at the small child.

“Can I hold him?” She asks reaching a finger in for him to hold onto. 

Emma puts her hands on her shoulders and pushes the young girl flat on the ground once more. Emma is firm but caring as she redirects some of Cassi’s excitement. “If you hold him, you can’t float around like you do with Robin.” 

Zelena trusts Cassi with Robin in ways Emma certainly wouldn’t. It was hard to argue with Cassi’s results though. She was just as good of a baby whisperer as Regina, and floating around seemed to lull baby Robin to sleep almost instantly. Emma was trying to teach Cassi that it wasn’t necessary to float clear to the ceiling to rock a baby to sleep. 

Snow unbuckles baby Neal and puts him in Cassi’s arms. There’s instant love and the two smile at each other. Cassi calmly walks over to her seat at the table and holds him. She begins making funny faces and talking to him softly.

“Let’s all grab a plate and take a seat, shall we?” Regina suggests taking her own plate, plus a second for Cassi, loads both with homemade fries, and takes her seat near Cassi. Everyone else follows her example.

“Get everything cleaned up?” Henry finally asks once everyone is seated.

“We did.” Emma promises before digging into her food. 

“And the Nomads?” Henry continues questioning before digging into his own food.

David hesitates, “They understand the demands, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to go back and remove it ourselves.”

Cassi freezes as if expecting troubling news too follow. Regina and Emma both glance at her, then at each other. Their eyes lock, Regina sighs as if she too expects it. Emma tenses in her own worry. When the silence stretches a moment, Snow explains what her husband is dreading to elaborate on.

“They don’t want to give up the Kryptonite. They’ve created a weapon, and I quote,” Snow lifts her fingers to do physical quotation marks in the air, “It’s powerful enough to even take down the mini super alien.” 

“They also want to sell it. When we told them they couldn’t sell it in Storybrooke, they said they had a way home to sell it else where, except someone mentioned a missing component everyone needed to get home.” David wraps up looking at Cassi. 

Snow clears her throat, “Some people at the campsite overheard the conversation and demanded we help them find the missing piece so they can return to the land of untold stories. Hattie pulled us aside to mention she knew that Cassi was playing fairytale family with our daughter and _her wife, _and if we didn’t get the piece back from you she’d bring some of the Kryptonite to take it herself.”__

__“I’d like to see her try.” Emma huffs, roughly scooting back in her chair with indignation. Choosing to ignore the side comment about her relationship with Regina._ _

__Regina’s reaction is not better tempered, “They shouldn’t be selling it at all.”_ _

__“We’ll take care of it tomorrow.” Emma is ready to bounce out of her chair now, but knows she shouldn’t rush in unprepared by this point. Yet, another potential fight looming in their future._ _

__David interrupts the building anger between the two women, “I think we should know whatever it is they’re coming after.” Everyone turns to look at Cassi who had barely moved during the entire conversation. Her plate still half full of food, silverware laid beside it._ _

__“I don’t want them to sell it. I knew you wouldn’t allow them sell it here once, so I took it when I ran away so they couldn’t go anywhere else to sell it either.” Cassi only briefly glances up once during her explanation. Making the briefest of eye contact with Regina. There was a desperate plea behind the young girl’s eyes to take her side against the people who wanted to threaten her with her greatest weakness._ _

__Regina licks her lips and places her finger under Cassi’s chin. Tilting Cassi’s head up to look at her, the brunette holds the young girl’s gaze steadily. Showing her she wasn’t mad, but that Cassi could not avoid the situation._ _

__“You need to tell us what it is.”_ _

__“It’s for the device Hyde had made to store the kind of magic need for a portal. It holds just enough for a return trip home.” Cassi fidgets and reaches down beneath the table pulling her leg up. Digging her fingers into her shoe, she pulls out a piece of folded up paper. She unfolds in and hands it to Regina. After studying the paper for a moment, Regina gets a crinkle in her brow._ _

__“Are these instructions?”_ _

__“Yeah, Wenburg designed the device that stores the magic. He died before he could teach anyone how to use it, but they found the instructions digging through his work. They can’t get back unless they know how to connect it to a new ship.” Cassi explains softly._ _

__Regina simply sighs. Nobody has any clue what to do. They have to turn the instructions over, and they know it. It is not right to trap people in a realm when they can leave. Many of the Nomads not involved with the Kryptonite wished to return to the Land of Untold stories. Those involved with the Kryptonite were not going to want to leave without their new money maker, either._ _

__“I think Emma was right earlier, we deal with this tomorrow.” Snow declares throwing her napkin down. She begins to clear her and Charming’s plates._ _

__“I agree.” Henry hops up clearing his own. Charming runs a hand down the back of his neck and just nods in agreement. Cassi finally begins to eat her dinner. Inhaling it in a more typical manner. Regina takes baby Neal from her just in case she drops some food. Emma rises and takers her and Regina’s plates to the sink just as her mother sits back down._ _

__“I think we should all take some time to think about how to handle this tomorrow.” Snow rises and Regina does as well. Regina gives Neal a kiss and passes him to his mother. Charming stands following his wife, giving everyone a hug as they leave. When he gets to Cassi, he hugs her and tells her not to worry._ _

__“My daughter and her wife have your back.” He jokes to which Emma stutters and flushes and Regina rolls her eyes._ _

__Once they leave, the remaining four decide that thinking time requires another family movie night. Emma takes control of the decision and selects ‘Lilo and Stitch’. It was one Disney movie with people none of them knew, and it seemed to fit the mood of the group. When the movie ended, Regina insisted Cassi and Henry needed to go get ready for bed. Emma and Regina followed them up and said good night at they made their way to Regina’s room. Once they entered the room, Regina casts a silencing spell on the room and asks the million-dollar question._ _

__“What are we going to do?” Regina inquires of the blonde._ _

__“Ugh!” grunts Emma and flops back onto the bed, “How should I know? This can’t wait until tomorrow?”_ _

__“No, what happens if they show up on our door tomorrow?” Regina demands beginning to pace the room._ _

__Sitting up in bed Emma looks at the pacing brunette, “I shoot them with my gun.”_ _

__Regina rolls her eyes and pins Emma with a serious stare. “I am not going to wait around for another angry mob to show up at my door Miss Swan.”_ _

__“Geez! If I knew you were going to be this kind of a wife, I never would have married you.” Emma jokes. Though Regina does not find it that funny, it does seem to calm her down a bit._ _

__“I am never lucky enough that my problems just put themselves off like I want them to.” Regina sighs kicking off her heels. Defeated at the prospect of solving the problem tonight. She disappears into the closet to grab pajamas. Emma stands to remove her jeans and strip down into her tank top and underwear for bed._ _

__“Relax! You’re a hero now. Hero’s get to sleep over their worries and try again the next day.” Emma yawns stretching out in the bed beneath the covers._ _

__“I highly doubt that’s true.” Regina snarks on her way into the bathroom. “Did you brush your teeth?” She calls from within the other room.  
“Magic!” Emma responds cheekily making herself comfortable. A pillow thumps her in the face. “Hey!” _ _

__Regina emerges from the bathroom smirking. With a false smile and cheeriness her only response is to mock the blonde, “Magic!”_ _

__Once Regina is settled into bed beside the blonde, the two lay facing each other. The side comment from the Nomads and her parents, plus the heavy atmosphere from the treehouse weighing on their minds._ _

__“Would you ever marry me?” Regina asks softly._ _

__Emma stares at her seriously, “I wasn’t even sure you’d ever want to get married again after your last one.”_ _

__Regina shrugs into her pillow, “I don’t want to be alone forever.” The older woman admits._ _

__Emma reaches out for the hand Regina has laying on the pillow. She curls her own pale hand around the warm olive hand on top of the silk pillow case. “You can’t be alone with me around, and it doesn’t mean we’d have to get married either.”_ _

__It’s quiet for a moment. The two women lock gazes. Brown and green eyes studying each other. Trying to figure out where they stand. Finally, Regina speaks in a soft whisper._ _

__“We should try to get some sleep. Angry mobs don’t tend to wait until noon.”_ _

__Emma smirks and nuzzles her face into the pillow. “Relax, I’ll protect you again if they show up.”_ _

__“I do not need protecting, Miss Swan.” Regina says with false venom. It just makes the blonde smile._ _

__“Of course not. But I’d be there anyway. We’re better as team.” Emma waits for Regina to close her eyes before she closes her own. Both women’s breathing evens out as they slip into the unconsciousness of sleep. Their hands remaining locked together on the pillow as drift off into their own dream worlds._ _


	22. Intruder Alert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read the title. Guess what happens.

Cassi is startled out of her deep slumber by a loud bang. The sound resonates through the house. No doubt, it awakens the other members of the household. Pausing for only a moment to try to gauge the situation, Cassi can hear a group of five people moving into the house. The smell of explosives and metal ripe in the air. Leaping out of bed at human speed. She gets to the top of the stairs before the intruders even make it to the bottom. 

Using her heat vision, Cassi shoots the chandelier hanging about the foyer down. It crashes down into the people below them who scream in surprise. Not wasting a moment. Cassi moves at inhuman speed to grab her mattress and hurdle it down the stairs. This is followed by a bookshelf, her bedroom door, and Henry’s desk that she tosses much to his dismay.

“Cassi!” Henry yells rushing into the hall behind her as she heaves it down the stairs. There’s now a small blockade that the intruders must get over before they can reach the family upstairs.

“Henry! Cassi!” Emma and Regina yell rushing into the hall. The hall is dark because no one has yet to turn on lights, their clothes and hair all rumples from sleep.

“What’s going on?” Regina demands. Emma goes to move to the front of the stairs. Cassi hears the cock of a gun loading a second before she dives at Emma. The two blondes crash to the ground as a bullet lodges itself into the wall behind where Emma’s head had been. 

“Into my room, Henry, now!” Regina commands to her son. He ducks into his mother’s room quickly locating their phone shooting off some desperate texts. Then, begins to call in the backup.

“Who the hell is shooting at me!” Emma screams above the commotion downstairs. Her and Cassi are lying on the floor where she’d tackled them at. Regina is crouched low in the hall closer to her bedroom. 

“Get back here you idiots!” Regina calls to them over the noise of furniture being moved and shouts from bellow. Emma and Cassi crawl back to Regina keeping low to the ground.

“It’s the Nomads. I recognize their smell. It’s Gerald, Hattie, and three of the people who work with Gerald.” Cassi’s words rush out urgently. She can hear them clearing the stairs now.

“I’m guessing they didn’t come without some Kryptonite.” Emma mutters. There’s a loud screech as the group tries to hull some of the furniture off the stairs. 

“You better not be scratching my marble floors!” Regina yells angrily down the stairs. 

Gerald yells back, “Give us the girl and what she took and we’ll leave.” 

“Over my dead body!” Emma retorts angrily.

“Seriously?!” Cassi yells tugging their arms to pull them back down. The two women had risen up in their anger. A round of bullets are shot off up the stairs.

“That can be arranged!” One of up other responds. Supposedly the one with the gun.

_“Do you both have a death wish?!” _Cassi hisses at them.__

__Regina grabs her hand and begins pulling her back towards her bedroom, “Bedroom, now.” Regina commands. Cassi grabs ahold of Emma and Regina tugs them into the bedroom. They shut the door and shove a dresser in front of it. The invaders can be heard pounding up the stairs. They knock, shove, and kick at the door which refuses to budge. Thanks to Cassi leaning on the dresser keeping it in place._ _

__“We just want to directions!” Gerald yells through the door._ _

__Another, unfamiliar, voice can be heard as well, “Like hell that’s all we want. I want the girl, too. She destroyed my house! I don’t even have anything to go back to!”_ _

__“You destroyed someone’s house?” Henry asks finally joining the group. When bullets begin getting lodged in the dresser, the two women and Henry stand off to the side._ _

__“I am a _child _!” Cassi yells angrily back, “You try piloting a crashing spaceship at my age!”___ _

____Suddenly, from within the hallway, there is a loud bang and hiss. There are shouts of surprise and a single shot rings out. Then, there is only silence. A green smoke begins seeping through the bottom of the door. When another cloud of green smoke appear in the bedroom, a bed ragged but overly cocky Zelena stands in the dissipating smoke._ _ _ _

____“What on Earth is going on here?” She questions looking around at the frazzled group._ _ _ _

____Cassi launches herself from the door and throws her arms around Zelena’s waist. “Zelena!” is the only squeal of excitement that comes from the group. Henry mutters a soft, “Thank god, finally.” Emma and Regina, however, are stunned by the witch’s presence._ _ _ _

____“How did you know to come here?” Regina asks her sister._ _ _ _

____Henry clears his throat, “I called for her.”_ _ _ _

____“It’s a good thing too! Those people out there have guns and Kryptonite! You have a door and dresser.” Zelena rolls her eyes, looking very much like her sister in that moment._ _ _ _

____“We were asleep.” Emma mutters in defense._ _ _ _

____“Did you knock them all out?” Regina demands._ _ _ _

____“Of course, go see for yourself. We have about fifteen minutes to get the biggest ones tied up and unarmed before it wears off.” Zelena rubs Cassi’s back soothingl_ _ _ _

____Cassi launches herself from the door and throws her arms around Zelena’s waist. “Zelena!” is the only squeal of excitement that comes from the group. Henry mutters a soft, “Thank god, finally.” Emma and Regina, however, are stunned by the witch’s presence._ _ _ _

____“How did you know to come here?” Regina asks her sister._ _ _ _

____Henry clears his throat, “I called for her.”_ _ _ _

____“It’s a good thing too! Those people out there have guns and Kryptonite! You have a door and dresser.” Zelena rolls her eyes, looking very much like her sister in that moment._ _ _ _

____“We were asleep.” Emma mutters in defense._ _ _ _

____“Did you knock them all out?” Regina demands._ _ _ _

____“Of course, go see for yourself. We have about fifteen minutes to get the biggest ones tied up and unarmed before it wears off.” Zelena rubs Cassi’s back soothingly as they stand there. Regina pinches the bridge of her nose like she’s getting a migraine, then waves her hand to make the dresser move away from the front of the door._ _ _ _

____“Emma, I hope you have some handcuffs on you.” Regina says before walking into the hall to assess the damage. Emma, still confused by the rapid events of the evening, just follows her into the hall._ _ _ _

____“I knew you’d come.” Cassi mutters into Zelena’s waist as she hugs her._ _ _ _

____“Anytime short stuff, anytime.” Zelena promises looking at Henry. He just smiles and rocks onto the balls of his toes happily. Proud of himself for thinking to call from backup._ _ _ _


	23. Plot Twists and Pain

An hour later, Emma, Regina, Cassi, Henry, and Zelena are all sitting in the living room. They have the five Nomads tied up and sitting on the floor. Snow and David have been woken up and called for an official police report to be filed, and the weapons have been confiscated. Guns and knives were bagged placed on a table off to the side of the room. There were far more weapons than the group had anticipated hidden on the intruders. The weapon containing the Kryptonite has been magically moved to a different location entirely by Zelena shortly after the entire ordeal. For it only being four o’clock in the morning, it has already been quite a morning. 

“You can’t do this to us! We deserve to be able to go home!” Gerald is still angrily shouting from the floor. His face red and his fuse even shorter after learning he’d been bested and tied up.

“You’re harboring a fugitive! She’s a menace!” Another one of the men declares angrily. He’s tied up on the furthest end and has been just as hot headed as Gerald. 

“Shut up! Will you both!” Hattie demands trying to kick the two men into silence. 

“Why don’t you take Henry and Cassi home with you for now?” Regina suggests with an eye roll to Zelena. “They don’t need to listen to stand around and listen to bickering.” 

“Sleepover!” Cassi cheers clapping her hands excitedly. 

“At least someone can get some sleep.” Emma mutters under her breath. 

“We’ll take Gerald, Hattie, and the gentleman in the middle,” Charming pipes up sensing that his daughter and Regina were exhausted by the events of the evening, “start the questioning early so we can all get back to bed.” 

Zelena grabs Henry and Cassi’s shoulders, “That’s our queue to leave.” In a puff of green smoke, the trio disappear off to a sleepover. Smiling and waving as the drama for the evening dies down.

“Grab the weapons too, will you, Dad?” Emma asks dreading the inventory they’ll have to do for all the weapons. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Charming promises picking up the handful of weapons off of the table on the far side of the room.

“Follow us after you put some real clothes on, I think those two will calm down once they’re separated.” Snow hugs Emma and Regina before helping Charming usher three of them out of the room.

“I’ll change first, and then put on a pot of coffee? You watch them?” suggests Emma. Regina nods in agreement then wanders over to keep an eye on the remaining two individuals. Emma hurries upstairs to change so they can get back to sleep as well.

Half an Hour Later- Snow and Charming

“Write down your statement, I’ve heard enough.” Snow sighs, frustrated. She shoves the paper and pen at Gerald. Rising, she leaves the interrogation room. 

Gerald is not to be deterred from his goal. “Directions for my statement! You better not forget the deal! I want to go home!” 

“I know!” Snow calls back over her shoulder, obviously annoyed. She walks back into the office area to where Charming is organizing the inventory. 

“Ready for the next one?” He asks distractedly rifling through the collection of bags on his desk.

“Not really,” Snow ambles over to pour herself a cup of coffee before starting the next interrogation, “what are you looking for?” She asks noticing Charming still shuffling through the evidence bags, not finding what he’s looking for. 

“I’m missing a gun.” Charming admits rising to his feet. “I’m going to check the cruiser, maybe it fell out by your feet.” 

“Want me to call Regina and Emma to check the house?” Snow suggests.

“No, I’ll call them after checking in the cruiser. Just keep going with the interrogations. The sooner we finish all of this, the sooner we can go back to sleep.” Charming grabs his keys off of his desk and shoves his way out his door to check the car. Regina would kill him if he had still misplaced a piece of evidence by the time she arrived.

Regina and Emma

“Ugh, I missed a call from David.” Emma sighed picking up her cell. Since there was no accompanying text message, she decided it wasn’t that important and set it back down.

“If it’s another question about paper work…” Regina muttered frustrated.

“We’re almost to the station anyways,” Emma responded turning into the parking lot. She spied David by the other cruiser and gave a wave. 

Shaking her head, Regina softly sighed to herself, “Charming family incompetence.” 

“What?” Emma asked pulling the cruiser into the parking lot and shutting it off.

“Nothing,” Regina muttered hopping out of the car. Both women oblivious to the rustling in the backseat and odd looks from the passengers. 

“Dad,” Emma called out opening her back door, “what’s going on?” 

“Nothing too major!” David responded with false confidence. Regina opened the back door to her side.

“What’s going on?” Emma asked assisting the second passenger climbing out her door.

“It’s just…” David sighed, running a hand through his hair, “it appears a gun fell out of it’s evidence bag.” 

“What?” Emma asked confused.

In the same moment, Regina finally helped the man out of the passenger side. Her impatience with his slow movements causing her to pull him physically out of the back. A loud, BANG, caused everyone in the group to freeze. Emma looked over to Regina who slowly looked down to her abdomen. Her hands slowly resting over her center, then collapsing to the pavement.

“REGINA!” Emma shrieks panicked. No concern for the gunman even registering. David, quickly realizing what’s happening, draws his gun and takes out the passenger that had been behind Regina in the cruiser.

“REGINA!” Emma screams picking up the brunette off of the pavement.

Regina gasps for breath with her hands over her abdomen, nearly in the same place where she’d been stabbed in her alternate dream reality with Emma and Henry last time. 

“Regina,” Emma coos more softly. Aware of nothing, despite the scene erupting in a panic as Snow runs outside. Her and Charming rush to them, the other two passengers from the cruiser witnessing everything with shocked horrified expressions. 

“Emma,” Regina sputters, coughing up blood as she tries to speak.

“No,” Emma says fiercely, “whatever you want to say, just no.” 

“Henry,” Regina chokes on her own blood, “take care… of him..” 

“No, we will.” Emma’s tone is harsh, breaking only when Snow lays a hand on her shoulder, “ _WE _will take care of Henry.”__

__“REGINA!” Cassi’s voice breaks through the fog of chaos at the scene. Henry, Cassi, and Zelena have appeared from no where. Somehow, one of them must of have sensed the danger. The trio race towards the group._ _

__“Mom,” Henry sobs kneeling beside his mothers._ _

__“It’s,” Regina coughs, “it’s okay. You’ll both be fine.” Regina attempts a weak smile from Emma’s arms. Her hands reaching out to grasp both Henry’s and Cassi’s._ _

__“Mom!” Henry pleads looking up to Emma. Cassi can’t take her eyes off of Regina. Zelena crouches behind the small girl._ _

__“I-” Emma’s voice breaks. The weight of expectations crushing her once again. She doesn’t know how to save Regina. Regina is the one with all the answers, not her._ _

__“Please!” Henry begs, squeezing Regina’s hand tighter, “I love you.”_ _

__“I love- you- to.” Regina sputters patting both Henry’s and Cassi’s hands._ _

__“Emma,” Snow squeezes her daughter’s shoulder, “kiss her.”_ _

__“What?” Emma asks confused._ _

__“You love her.” Snow says with complete confidence._ _

__“I- Regina-”Emma glances down at the brunette in her arms. Who looks so unconcerned about herself. Emma's not even sure it will work. What would happen if she does? The only curse left to break is the original dark curse. What will happen to them all if she ends it? What happens to Regina if she doesn't?_ _

__“It’s okay, Emma.” Snow promises. Charming nods behind her. Emma glances to them for reassurance. She’s never done anything this monumental before. She can feel it in her bones. Moving the moon, stopping the magic holding Storybrooke together, nothing compares._ _

__“Regina-”Emma mutters, her voice breaks. Yet, Regina hears her._ _

__“It’s- it’s okay, Em-ma.” Regina gets out. Gasping for breath. Emma’s heat breaks._ _

__“I...” Emma gathers Regina even closer in her arms. Regina’s hands break from the kids’, grasping Emma’s arms instead._ _

__“It’s okay, Emma.” Regina promises._ _

__“I love you, Regina.” Emma whispers. The rest of the world fading into the background. No one else exists._ _

__Regina trembles in the blonde’s arms, a soft smile on her lips. The weight of what’s happening coming to its natural conclusion._ _

__“I..” Regina struggles. Her breathing coming in short gasps, the words cannot break past her lips. Emma cradles the older woman in her lap._ _

__“Please,” Emma cradles her even tighter. When Regina’s eyes begin to drift shut, Emma starts yelling. “No! NO! NO! NO!”_ _

__“Please!” Henry and Cassi begin to plead. Emma cannot process their pleas, but she knows what they want. What everyone wants, including herself. She knows what can save Regina._ _

__“I love you, Regina.” Emma sobs. Lowering her head towards the brunette, praying its not too late, Emma presses her lips to Regina. The magic vibrates through not just them, but the entire town as it rouses a storm. The wind whips around them, the ground shakes, and a fog begins brewing in the distance._ _

__“Moms!” Henry screams grabbing onto Cassi. Emma looks at their two kids. Panic screaming from their eyes as everything around them changes once more. Life ceasing to make sense as Regina dies in her arms. She glances back down for just a moment._ _

__“I’m so sorry, Regina. Sorry, that I didn’t realize it sooner.” Emma pleads kissing Regina once more as the fog of smoke descends on them._ _


	24. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end- let me know if there are any errors. Or if you want to know what happens next.

When Emma blinks up into the bright, shinning sky. The sun beats down directly upon them. She can feel the soft ground beneath her, Regina’s solid weight on her lap. Afraid to look down, Emma whips her head around to examine her surroundings. Looking just as confused as she feels, her parents take a step back. Removing their direct support. They’re in the woods, and not the woods in Storybrooke. When she glances across from her, Henry, Cassi, and Zelena stare back at her. 

“Emma,” the soft gasp causes Emma to freeze. She glances down, warm brown eyes stare back at her. 

“Regina.”   
“You-” Regina gasps struggling to sit up, Emma assists her. Pulling her up. The brunette’s outfit is devoid of bloodstains now. Healed despite the death sentence previously on her head.

“You saved me.” Regina finally gasps out. Her hand tangling in Emma’s long blonde locks. 

Emma shutters, “I was so afraid.” She admits. 

Regina smiles. It’s a smiles that stops time, “You saved me.”

“I couldn’t let you die.” Emma mutters. Grasping onto her like she’s her life line.

“I love you.” Regina finally admits.

“I love you, too.” Emma promises leaning her forehead against the brunette’s. 

“About bloody time.” Zelena mutters. Everyone laughs in the small field around them. People are strewn out in the distance, the curse finally broken. Everyone appears to be in the Enchanted Forrest. Storybrooke no longer their home. 

“Thank goodness.” Snow sighs leaning into Charming.

“Thank Rao.” Cassi agrees leaning into Henry. Emma chuckles and pulls both Henry and Cassi into the hug. 

“Thank Rao.” Regina agrees chuckling into the embrace. Everything is how is was meant to be. Her happy ending has occurred at last.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first published Fanfiction. I've been writing privately for myself for a while. Please review and leave comments!


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